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COURT YARD OF PALACE VECCHIO. 



(Frontispiece) 




GENES 






ABROAD 



OR 



Gems of l^raVel for tllG Home Circle 



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,c. BY 

e!^ a; ALLEN 



AUTHOR OF "GOLDEN GEMS OF LIFE," "BIBLE COMPANION" ETC. 




CINCINNATI— NASHVILLE— ATLANTA ; 

Centr.\l Publishing House. 

1S90. 



^n3LV^«3M^)m<^)M^^^M^)^.\.<^Tl.V<^)^^<^)lj^<^^^^^ 



COPYRIGHT BY 
8. C. FERGUSON, E. A. ALLEN, AND W. H. FERGUSON. 



# t^relac.e^ # 



mk 



^T the present day it is not necessary to speak of the value of books 
'jlH giving us information as to the world at large. Modern civiliza- 
tion, with its daily papers, its railroads, and telegraphs, has virtu- 
ally annihilated distance, and we are expected to be familiar with the history 
of foreign lands, to know their peculiarities, and to be acquainted with the 
various interesting scenes to be witnessed in their midst. 

Many books have been written to supply this information. Celebrated 
travelers have written most entertainingly of what they have themselves 
observed, and guide books and encyclopedias abound. It is evident, then, 
that we can not flatter ourselves that we have in our possession a mass of 
facts not previously known. We can, however, put forth some claims in 
regard to this book which we trust will be readily admitted, and will result 
in giving it a cordial welcome. 

We have endeavored to give, in a very limited compass, a description 
accompanied by illustrations of the most celebrated scenes in the countries 
visited. We have interwoven with this description items of information 
concerning the history, customs, and peculiarities of the people themselves. 
In order to break the monotony of mere description, we have adopted the 
expedient of the story form of narrative, keeping before us a group of intelli- 
gent children, and supposed to be talking more particularly to them. We 

(iiij 



iv PREFACE. 

believe this will add greatly to the interest of the book. However, it is not 
solely a book for children, as a perusal of its pages will abundantly show. 
We trust it will be acceptable to all ages and classes, and believe it will be 
received by all as being in truth what its name implies, a description of 
Scenes Abroad. 

Cincinnati, Ohio, January i, 1890. 






^ TABLE OF GONTENTS. * 



CHAPTER I. Page. 

Introduction, , . . . . 9 

CHAPTER H. 
The British Islands, ♦ . 16 

CHAPTER III. 
Scandinavia and Russia, . 66 

CHAPTER IV. 



^ 



Teutonic Europe . o 112 

CHAPTER VJ 
France and -Spain, _. 164 

CHAPTER VI. 
Italy, , . 215 

CHAPTER VII. 
Hellas and the Levant, 266 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Eastern Asia, , . 310 

CHAPTER IX. 
The Holy Land, .... .,0 0., 352 

(V) 



liist 0^ lUusti|ations. # 




PAGE. 

1. Court Yard of Palace Vecchio. (Fromispiece.) 

2. Vase 15 

3. Queen Victoria on her Coronation Daj'.... 17 

4. Cove of Cork 20 

5. Queenstown 21 

6 Cork 22 

7 Shandon on the Lee 23 

8. Blarney Castle 24 

9. Glengariff and Bantry Bay 25 

10 Magillicuddy Reeks 27 

11. Meeting of the Waters 28 

12. Muckross Abbey 29 

13. Derrj-cunnihy Cascade 30 

14. Four Courts, Dublin 31 

15 Glasgow 33 

16. Corra Linn 35 

17 Bothwell Castle 36 

18. Views in Staffa 37 

19. Ruins of lona Cathedral 39 

20. Tombs of the Kings, lona 40 

21. Dunstaffnage Castle 42 

22. Invergarry Castle 44 

23. Edinburgh Castle 45 

24. View from the Walls, Chester 47 

25. Phoenix Tower 48 

26. Water Tower 48 

27. Menai Suspension Bridge 49 

28. Derwentwater 50 

29. Falls of Lodore 51 

30. Canterbury Cathedral 52 

31. The Choir 53 

32. Transept of the Martyrdom 54 

33. Flint Castle 55 

34 Windsor Castle 56 

( John Swearing Vengeance against his "1 
35" I Barons / 57 

36. Execution of Charles the First 58 

37. Henry VIII 59 

38. Beaulieu Abbey 61 

39. Great Portal, Crowland Abbey 62 

40. Bisham Abbey 63 

41. The Thames at Ray Mead 64 

42. William the Conqueror 65 

Ancient Viking Boat 68 



PAGE. 

44. Views of Copenhagen 70 

45. Canute the Great and his Courtiers 72 

46. Christiana 73 

47. Bergen 74 

48. Han seatic Ship 75 

49. Stockholm 76 

50. Royal Palace, Stockholm 77 

51. Palace 78 

52. Rosendale Castle 78 

53. Knights' House 78 

( Return of the Bodv of Charles XII. to 1 5^ 
54- \ Stockholm.....'. /^ 

55. Statue of Gustavus Adolphus 81 

56. Lake Bandak 82 

57. Costumes of Thelemarken 83 

58. Swedish Winter Customs 85 

59. Lapps 87 

60. Reindeer 88 

61. Nicolai Bridge S9 

62. Statue of Peter the Great 90 

63. The W'inter Palace 91 

64. Peter the Great on the Field of Pultova... 93 

65. Catherine II 95 

66. Nicholas 1 95 

67. Cathedral of St. Isaac 96 

68. Metropolitan of St. Petersburg 97 

69. Moscow 98 

70. The Great Bell at Moscow 99 

71. Entry of Ivan into Kazan 100 

72. Cathedral of St. Basil loi 

73. Chateau of Petrofski 103 

74. Samoyede Encampment 104 

75. Village Fete in Russia 106 

76. Russian Village 107 

77. Russian Tarantass 108 

78. Russian Women 109 

79. Lake Baikal no 

80. Peter the Great ui 

81. Dykes on the Coast of Holland 113 

82. Quay iUiAmsterdam 114 

83. Viewsin Amsterdam ...116 

84. Town Hall, Haarlem 119 

85. The Boompjes, Rotterdam 120 

86. Erasmus '. 121 



(vi) 



LIST OI- ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Vll 



PAGE. 

^7 Church of St. Lawrence 122 

88, William, Prince of Orange 123 

89 Mausoleum of William the Silent 124 

go. Dordrecht 125 

91. Fishing in Holland 127 

92. Views in Brussels 129 

93 Duke Alva at Brussels 131 

94. The I'-ield of Waterloo 132 

95 Views in Berlin 134 

96. r'rederick the Great's Statue 136 

97. The Schloss Bridge 137 

98. Frederick the Great 138 

99. Potsdam 1 39 

100. Palace of San Souci 141 

loi, Luther and Melanchthon 143 

102. Munich 144 

103. The Marienplatz 145 

104. Nuremberg, Cit}' Walls 147 

105. Bridge at Nuremberg 148 

106. Church of St. Lawrence 149 

107. The Burgomaster 150 

108. Swabians 151 

109. Romans Warring with the Germans 153 

no. Primitive Worship among the Germans. ..154 

I German W'omen Defending their ) -■ 
"^ \ Wagon Castles ) ^^^ 

112. Feudal Castle at Rouen 157 

113. Knighthood 158 

114 Tournament 160 

115 A Tournament 161 

116 Entrance to the Tournament 161 

117. Barbarossa Asking Aid of King Henrj- 162 

118. Cologne Cathedral 163 

119 La Fayette 165 

120 Benjamin Franklin 166 

121. General View of Paris 168 

122 View of the Louvre 170 

123. Louis XVI, Bidding Adieu to his Family..i7i 

124 Palace de la Concorde 173 

125. Charlotte Corday led to Execution 175 

126. Fountain in the Champs Elysees 177 

127. Palace of the Luxembourg 178 

1 28. Palais Ro3-al 1 79 

129 Louis XIV 180 

130. Storming of the Bastile 181 

131. Execution of Louis XVI 181 

132. The Pont Neuf. 182 

133. Tour de St, Jacques 183 

134. Boulevard Montmartre 184 

135. Versailles 185 

136. The Grand Trianon 186 

137. The Labyrinth of Versailles 187 

138. Notre Dame 189 

139. Abdication of Napoleon 190 

140. Napoleon as Emperor 191 

141. Pont Aven 193 

142. Statue of Joan of Arc 194 



PACE. 

143. Lyons 195 

144. Place Belle Cour 196 

145. Hotel De Ville, Lyons 197 

146. Glimpse of a French Village 198 

147. Chateau of Chenonceaux 199 

148. Columbus Discovering America 201 

149. View of Madrid 203 

150. Entry of the Fighters into the Arena 204 

151. Leaping the Barrier 205 

152. The Alcazar 206 

153. Hall of the Ambassadors 207 

154. Defeat of the Saracens 1)y Charles Marlel..209 

155. Hall of the Two Sisters in the Alhambra..2io 

156. Court of the Lions 212 

157. Tomb of F^erdinand and Isabella 214 

158 Capitoline W^olf 215 

159. Imperial Rome 216 

160. Ancient Roman Ship 216 

161. A Roman Villa 217 

162. Entrance to a'Roman House 217 

163. Roman Lady at her Toilet 218 

164. Wall Ornament at Pompeii 219 

, I Furniture, etc., in the Room of a Rich ) 

^' \ Roman j 

166. Household L^tensils 220 

167. Roman Dining Hall 221 

168. A Roman Citizen 222 

169. A Roman Matron 222 

170. Funeral Ceremonies 223 

171. Place of Eatingthe Funeral Meal 224 

172. Anthony's Oration Over Caesar 225 

173. Offerings of the 'Vestal Virgins 227 

1 74. Court of Augustus 2 28 

175. The Haruspex 229 

176. Roman Judgment Hall 231 

177. Offerings to Mars 232 

178. The Roman Forum 234 

179. The Forum 235 

180. Entrance to the Capitol 236 

181. Facade of Jupiter Stator's Temple 237 

182. The Appian Way 238 

183. Tomb of iCsecilia Metalla 239 

184. Scene in the Catacombs 242 

185. Colosseum at Rome 243 

186. Gladiatorial Games 244 

187. Arch of Constantine 245 

188. Circus Maximus 246 

189. Chariot Race 246 

190. Bridge of St. Angelo .' 247 

191. St. Peter's Cathedral 248 

192. Michael Angelo 246 

1 93. Interior of St. Peter's at Rome 250 

194. The Grand Canal, Venice 252 

195. Gondola 253 

196. The Ri alto at Venice 253 

197. Piazza of St. ^Mark's 254 

198. Ducal Palace 256 



VI n 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



199. 
200. 
201. 
202. 
203. 
204. 
205. 
206. 
207. 
208. 
209. 
210. 
211. 
212. 
213. 
214. 

215- 

216. 
217. 
218. 
<* 219. 
220. 
221. 
222. 
223. 

224. 

225. 
226. 
227. 
228. 
229. 
230. 
231. 
232. 
233- 
234. 
235- 
236. 

237- 
238. 
239- 
240. 

241. 

242, 
243' 
244 



PAOE. 

The Molo, Venice 258 

Florence 259 

Tomb of Lorenzo 262 

Death of Savonarola 263 

Street in Pompeii 264 

Harbor of the Piraeus 268 

Athens under Pericles 269 

Trojan War Heroes 271 

Homer 271 

Return from Troy 272 

Juno 273 

Neptune ^73 

Assembly of the Gods on Mt. Olympus.... 273 

Jupiter 273 

Pluto 273 

Types of Greek Women 274 

Greek Festival Scene ^276 

Entrance to a Greek Garden 277 

Entertainment of a Greek Lady 278 

Ornamental Articles used in Greek Life... 279 

Herodotus Reading History 280 

The Acropolis at Athens 282 

Ancient Athens 283 

The Parthenon at Athens 284 

Pallas Athene, after Phidias 285 

( Temple of the Pan-Hellenic Zeus at \ ^86 

t .^gina ) 

Court of the Areopagus 287 

Death of Socrates 288 

Croesus on the Funeral Pyre 290 

Solon and Crcesus 291 

Alexander and Aristotle 292 

Grove of Altis 293 

Olympic Games 294 

Olympian Zeus 295 

The Priestess of Apollo at Delphi 296 

Eleusinian F'east 297 

Rape of Persephone 298 

View of Constantinople 299 

Dolma Baghtche 302 

Room in the Seraglio 3^4 

Buyukdere 306 

St. Sophia at Constantinople 307 

Socrates 309 

View of Tokio 3^2 

Old Palace, Tokio 3'4 

Japanese Court Dres.s 315 



245 

246. 

247. 

248. 

249. 

250. 

251- 
252. 

253- 
254- 
255- 
256. 

257- 
258. 
259- 
260. 
261. 
262. 
263. 
264. 
265. 
266. 
267. 
268. 
269. 
270. 
271. 
272. 

273- 
274. 

275- 
276. 
277. 
278. 
279. 
280. 
281. 
283. 
284. 
285. 
286. 
287. 
288. 
289. 
290. 
291. 
292. 



PAGE. 

Japanese Wedding 3^6 

Japanese Balancing Feats 31S 

View of Tien Tsin 320 

Japanese Junk 32 1 

A Mandarin 322 

Street Scene in China 324 

Official in his Palanquin 326 

Tsien Men Gate 32? 

The Imperial City 328 

A Chinese Schoolmaster 329 

Chinese Scholar 33° 

Buddhist Temple, China 33' 

Hong Kong 332 

The Maidan, Calcutta 334 

Along the Strand, Calcutta 33^ 

Gate of Ala Udeen Kootub 338 

The Kootub 339' 

Throne Room, Delhi 34° 

Mausoleum of Akbar the Great 342 

Mausoleum of Et-Mad-od-Doulah 343 

Garden of the Taj-Mahal 345 

The Garden Gate, Taj-Mahal 347 

The Taj-Mahal 349 

Erection of Public Buildings 353 

View of the Great Pyramids and Vicinity..355 

Mummy of Rameses II 35^ 

Halls in the Temple of Karnak 357 

Convent of Mt. Sinai 359 

Hebron 3^0 

Jerusalem in the Time of Christ 361 

Solomon's Temple 362 

Christ Disputing in the Temple 364 

Mosque of Omar 3^5 

Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene 367 

Holy Sepulcher 3^9 

Pool of Hezekiah 37° 

Jews' Wailing Place 37i 

Mount of Olives 372 

Modern Bethlehem 373 

Cave of the Nati\'ity 374 

Down to Jericho 375 

Modern Bethany 37^ 

Christ's luitry into Jerusalem 378 

Modern Nazareth 380 

Jewish Synagogue 381 

Sea of Galilee •' 382 

Christ Walking on the Water 384 



^r';',^^^tJ£3^.iH..y.-.. 




Scenes (ilfiroad^ 



r 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTION. 

T was snowing ! 

Nothing remarkable about such an 
occurrence, to be sure ; but just at this 
particular time and place it was received with 
marks of approval by all, unless we except 
the chronic grumblers and sundr}- unfortu- 
nate people who could scarcel}' keep warm 
even in bright and cheer}- weather. It was 
doubl}^ welcome because the holiday season 
was at hand, and in our Eastern States 
Christmas without sleighing is but half 
Christmas. So the boj^s and girls and good people generally of Welton 
were quite resigned to their fate when the da}' opened with a brisk snow- 
storm. It had been threatening for several days, but Nature was taking her 

(9) 



lO SCENES ABROAD. 

time about it, and seemed anxious to impress on the weather-wise that they 
did not know all her secrets yet. She had refused to make good the 
"indications" of the daily papers, which for several days had read, "Snow, 
followed by clearing, colder weather." The moon also had apparently lost 
her power; for, though the crescent hung just right according to the "oldest 
inhabitant " for stormy weather, nothing of the kind had followed. But 
after tantalizing them all for some days. Nature had relented. During the 
night the snow had steadily fallen, and the storm still continued. 

The walks were but partially cleared ; for what was the use of clearing 
them off until the storm was over? Such at least w^as the conclusion of 
numerous red-cheeked boys who were expected to clear off the walks in front 
of their homes, though we are not sure but they had further in mind that 
popular maxim among some boys of " Never do to-day what you can put off 
until to-morrow." School time came, and in spite of the storm there were 
but few absent; for, if 3'ou will only notice, the first good snow of the 
season never keeps children in doors as subsequent ones do. Among the 
scholars there were five who were eagerly looking forward to the night ; and 
as we are somewhat interested in this particular group, we may as well make 
their acquaintance at once. 

Two of these children were brothers, Willie and Burt Adams. Their 
father lived on a farm right on the outskirts of town. There was but two 
years difference in the ages of the boys ; and though Burt was the 3'ounger 
of the two, he was more of a scholar, and easily kept in the same grade as 
his brother. The boys enjoyed the advantages of both country and tow^n. 
They had been brought up to work; they were strong and healthy, and in 
many ways were envied by the town boys. Did they not have ponies to ride ? 
Did not all good things grow in their father's orchard ? Were there not 
great roomy barns, sheds, and stacks where they could play all sorts of 
games ? Thus could they count up the good things in the lives of Willie 
and Burt — without, however, thinking it worth while to note the hard work 
all this called for. 

The other three children we are particularly interested in were Nettie, 
Ida, and Henry Scott. Their father was a well-to-do merchant; their mother 
w-as sister to Mr. Charles Adams, the father of Willie and Burt ; so the chil- 
dren were cousins, Nettie and Ida, aged twelve and fourteen, were in the 
same room at school as their cousins. Henry was the " baby," though he 



INTRODUCTION. 11 

vigorously objected to that title, since, as he \vas ten years old and had just 
entered the grammar room, he was beginning to rank himself as one of the 
big boys. In truth, he had just reached that blissful era of boyhood life in 
which they have unlimited confidence in their own powers and possibilities — 
a rosy dream which, in most cases, the next fifteen years effectually dissipates. 

Now, what was it that kept running through the minds of these five 
boys and girls during the day — that gave such a suppressed air of importance 
to their movements — that led to such a mysterious conference between Henry 
and the older boys at recess— that made the afternoon seem so very long and 
sent them all hurrying home with a vague feeling of delight as soon as the 
afternoon session closed? It is safe to say that all boys and girls will at once 
understand their feelings when we tell them that only the night before word 
had come from Aunt Mary, who lived with grandpa and grandma clear to the 
other end of town, that a telegram had just been received from their Uncle 
George that he had landed in New York, and was expected at the old home- 
stead the day following; and Aunt Mary had further added that they had 
better come up in the evening and bring the children, and thus welcome 
Uncle George on his return. 

The children had only seen Uncle George a few times. Years before, 
during the oil excitement, he had drifted into Western Pennsylvania ; and 
after various ups and downs, a lucky venture had made his fortune in a few 
days. He had but little relish for speculation, and had no desire to continue 
in business. He had been a great reader and scholar, and now he found him- 
self in position to gratify his long cherished plan of foreign travel. So, 
investing his money, he had set out on a life of wandering. He had made 
one or two trips home, but for short visits only. This time it was different. 
His parents were now old ; he had visited nearly every part of the world, 
and at their urgent request was coming home to spend some time with them. 

To say nothing of the delight of meeting Uncle George, the children 
were glad enough to visit at grandpa's. The house was large and roomy, 
right on the very edge of town. Years before, when they were j'oung, 
grandpa and grandma had moved " West," as it was then called — though we 
wouldn't think of calling it "West" now — and engaged in farming. In time 
came railroads; coal mines were opened, manufactories erected, and a pros- 
perous town had grown up; and some of the old 'farm had been required for 
building lots. They had, however, clung to the old homestead, but had fitted 



12 SCENES ABROAD. 

it up with luxuries undreamed of iu their younger days. Only one of the 
four children remained at home, but the others, with the exception of Uncle 
George, were in the immediate vicinity ; and so we see that Grandpa and 
Grandma Adams had a good deal of sunshine in their old age ; in fact, it 
seemed to fill the whole house, and so it is no wonder the young folks liked 
to visit them. 

When the boys reached home, the storm had ceased. The days were now 
at their shortest, and a beautiful winter's night was already coming on. The 
sky was clearing off from the northwest ; the moon, about half full, appeared 
to be hurrying on past the broken clouds as if anxious to reach the blue 
space beyond, and show what she could do to make the evening pleasant. 
The-west was yet aglow, where the setting sun had broken out in a smiling 
adieu after a day given over to storms. A beautiful mantle of white covered 
all within sight, and the jingle of bells showed that sundry young people 
proposed to tend strictly to business while the sleighing lasted. 

And how the boys did hurry ! Chores were done with punctuality and 
dispatch. We trust the various animals composing the " stock" duly appre- 
ciated the haste and good-natured profusion with which their wants were 
supplied that particular evening. We are not sure but what the chickens, 
impressed with the preparatory bustle going on even before the boys came 
home from school, and feeling that events must move off "on time," went to 
roost a little earlier than usual. If there was any discontent, it must have 
been in the thoughts of the colts that John, the hired man, was currying. 
They may have viewed the evident preparations making for an evening out 
with distrust. They had seen the *' bobbs" being put in readiness, hay flung 
into the box, robes and blankets arranged on the seats ; and who knows what 
■equine memories were awakened when the strings of bells were brought out 
and put in a convenient place? Still, to do them justice, we don't believe 
they objected, especially when they found that an extra feed was given them. 

Then came supper — just such a supper as is provided in the home of a 
well-to-do and liberally minded farmer. Then the bundling up while John 
brought up the team. The colts were not only resigned to their fate, but, 
judging from the impatient tossing of heads, emphasized now and then by 
vigorous stamps of hoofs, were considering the advisability of trying the 
metal of their driver. If they could only get the start, what a nice wreck 
they could make of the sleigh to which they were hitched ! But there was 



INTRODUCTION. . 1^ 

little opportunity for that. Farmer Adams had driven too many horses to 
give his frisky team any chances. So they settled down to a rapid trot, and 
all parties enjo3'ed the two miles drive to grandpa's. 

In the meanwhile somewhat similar scenes had taken place at the house 
of Mrs. Scott, the married sister. Papa had come from business a full half 
hour earlier than usual ; and when the children reached home, dinner was 
ready to be placed on the table. The coachman had got out the big double 
cutter ; but as Mr. Scott was going along, and the drive was to be such a 
short one, his duties ended with getting everything in readiness. Xot 
having so much to do, the Scott family were at grandpa's when ]\lr. Adams 
drove up. 

Yes, Uncle George had come. No mistake about that. The good- 
natured bark of Watch, the big Newfoundland, seemed to say that he felt 
the weight of new responsibility. The fire in the grate glowed and snapped 
with strange energy as if it, too, wanted to make things cheery. The smile 
on grandpa's face was certainly brighter than usual. How glad they all were 
to see Uncle George ! And how glad he was to see them ! The children did 
feel just a little bashful ; but we may be sure it did not last long. In less 
than five minutes Henry had informed Nettie that " Uncle George was just 
boss," and in just about the same length of time Burt had made an equally 
interesting discovery — those strange looking books on the center table con- 
tained nothing but pictures. Yes, pictures of foreign places, noted persons, 
and objects of interest ; and though the' titles were all down, there were 
many that he had never heard of before. And then the children busied 
themselves looking at the pictures ; but one by one they tired of that, and 
were more interested in the story that Uncle George was telling about his 
voyage home — that is, all except Burt ; he always was a queer boy. He 
liked to hear his uncle talk, but the pictures in the albums demanded full}- 
half his attention. Every now and then he would find a picture of some- 
thing that he had read all about : how that would interest him. He came to 
a fine view of the " Landing Stage of Liverpool," and just at that moment 
he heard his uncle telling a little incident of his going on board for his 
return trip at Liverpool. " Oh, uncle," he burst out, " did j-ou go on board 
your steamer from here?" at the same time bringing him the book opened 
at the picture in question. " Wh}', sure enough," said his uncle ; " I had 
forgotten I had that picture in m}^ collection. Yes," he continued, " here is 



14 SCENES ABROAD. 

a picture of the principal landing at Liverpool. A little steam tender takes 
the passengers from here to the great ocean-going steamers." 

Uncle George went on with his story, but Burt had suddenly thought of 
a great scheme. Why couldn't his uncle tell him all about those pictures? 
How many there were ! How interesting it would all be ! How much he 
could learn ! If he only just felt a little better acquainted with his uncle — 
it might not be so interesting for him to go over them all ; then, besides, it 
would take a great deal of time. These rather mixed thoughts were running 
through his mind when Aunt Mary left the room to arrange for refresh- 
ments. 

Now Aunt Mary, according to the children's ideas, was more than an 
ordinary aunt. It was simply wonderful how she could arrange things. 
Her nephews and nieces had unlimited confidence in her ability to accom- 
plish what she set about. It is not strange, therefore, that Burt almost 
unnoticed followed his aunt from the room. 

Well, he saw his aunt, and explained the situation to her in a few words. 
Aunt Mary said she thought she could arrange it. And she did. She talked 
with the parents and with Uncle George, and talked to such good effect that 
after lunch, when the children were getting tired, Uncle George made a little 
speech. He told them that not only did he have the books shown on the 
center table, but he had many others in his room ; and he had, besides, a 
great many interesting objects to talk about. He and Aunt Mary had been 
considering a plan to interest and instruct his nephews and nieces ; and he 
was going to suggest that they meet every two weeks at grandpa's house, 
and he would talk to them about foreign lands. 

" But now," he continued, " there is one condition. I shall take some 
pains to make my talk interesting, and your parents will see that 3^ou get 
here somehow. Aunt Mary wall make it pleasant for you. But in order to 
get the most good out of the meetings, you must spend some time in review- 
ing your geography and history ; and as we will meet in the library where 
the encyclopedia is handy, I shall probabl}^ have one of you read about some 
of the places we are supposed to visit, or the objects of interest we see, and 
expect you to take notes of what is said. This will require some little work 
on your part, but I am sure you will all agree to it." 

And they did agree to it, though it must be added that Henrj^'s assent 
was expressed by a gentle snore, as the little fellow had gone on a tour of his 



INTRODUCTION. 1 5 

•own to the land of dreams. Bnt Uncle George observed, with a smile, that 
they would not expect Henry to do a great deal of preparatory work, or to 
make very extensive notes. So it was arranged that on the first Monday in 
January, and every two weeks thereafter, these five children should meet with 
Uncle George in grandpa's library, and take make-believe trips with him. 
If any of the older members wanted to attend, they would be expected to 
observe a decorous silence. Aunt Mary suggested that, since there were five 
children, they should call themselves the " Quintet Club," and the meetings 
be known as the " Travels of the Quintet Club." But as this suggestion had 
a sound of "red tape" about it, it was not adopted; but they often called 
themselves " the club." Uncle George thought that, if they met regularly 
every two weeks, by spring they would be able to talk about the most inter- 
esting objects to be seen in a real tour around the world. 

It was now growing late, and so, after announcing that their first visit 
would be to the British Isles, the teams were brought to the door, and the 
visitors departed for their homes ; the older children forming many good 
resolutions as to being prepared for the first meeting. 



i6 



SCENES ABROAD. 



CHAPTER II. 




The British Islands. 

TIME finally came for the first meeting of the club. The 
members felt a little uneasy about the preparations they 
had been able to make, which varied according to the men- 
tal traits of the various members. To do them justice, we must 
remember that it was the holidays, and we all know they had a 
good deal to distract their attention. Still, they had all made an 
effort. Willie had devoted considerable time to the encyclopedia, but, as he 
told his brother, he *' couldn't get head or tail to it ; " and so, getting a big 
note-book and a pencil, he concluded to await developments. Burt had gone 
at the matter more wisely ; he had better ideas as to what was wanted, and 
had really tried to be prepared, the only trouble being, as he found out later, 
that he was making too hard work of it, and he felt a little discouraged as 
the first Monday in January approached. Nettie and Ida had promised 
themselves every day that the next day they would " study up." But in this 
case the " next " day succeeded in keeping one day ahead until Monday was 
upon them. Then they had made a vigorous effort for an hour or two, when 
they concluded that they had "just done all Uncle George can expect." 
Henry had coaxed his father and mother to tell him stories about various 
English kings and queens. This was fun for Henry, but some work for his 
parents ; and we wouldn't care to vouch for the historical accuracy of all 
that his father told him, especiall^^ when he wanted to read the evening 
paper. 

But the club was promptly on hand when the time came. The boys 
rode their ponies, and Mr. Scott's coachman drove the children over. Uncle 
George was waiting, and the library had been made ready especially for 
them. As Uncle George believed in moving on time, they were soon seated 
around the long study table and ready to begin, though by this time Henry 
had serious doubts whether this was not some sort of a school ; and if so, he 
didn't know but he could employ himself to better advantage down with 




QUEEN VICTORIA. 

CORONATION Day.) 



TH?: HRITISII ISLANDS. I9 

Aunt Mary. But as his uncle gave him a pleasant smile, and as the others 
didn't seem to be alarmed, he concluded he would stay awhile anyway. 

"Now, children," commenced Uncle George, "I want to make these trips 
interesting and profitable to yon. You must all feel free to ask questions, 
especially if you don't understand what I say. It is not my wish to make 
you study hard." (Several members of the club felt greatly relieved at this 
point.) " My aim is simply to have a pleasant talk about the principal objects 
and places of interest we would see in a real trip ; and, of course, interesting 
bits of information that we can pick up will be gladly received. You can all 
see that w-e can only talk about a few of the man}- places we could describe ; 
for to undertake to talk about all the interesting sights to be seen would 
require a good deal more time than we can give to it. 

"Now," continued Uncle George, "suppose you had spent about a week 
on one of the big steamers I was telling you about the other night, you would 
be ver}^ glad to catch sight of land once more. In our present trip the first 
land we see after losing sight of America is Ireland. Btirt, you open that 
large atlas and turn to Ireland." 

Burt made haste to comply, and Uncle George continued : 

" Now we are supposed to be steaming along the southern coast, and 
with a good field-glass in hand, we notice that, though the shore seems to be 
rock}', the greenest of grass is growang wdierever there is the least chance." 

" And I suppose that is wh}^ Ireland is called the Emerald Isle," said 
Willie. " But, uncle, what makes the grass so green and the leaves on the 
trees so bright?" 

" Well," said his uncle, " I am glad to note that question, for it gives me 
a chance to try an experiment. In this case I am not going to explain it at 
once, but I am going to assign it to some one of you to make a special study 
thereon, and report at the next meeting. And so, Burt, I want you to make 
a little report about the climate of Western Europe at the next meeting. I 
don't want you to make a very long report," he added, noting the rather 
alarmed look on Burt's face. " You see, I want to make you observant trav- 
elers; and the only way to do so is to take note of just such questions as this, 
and try and understand them. But now let us return to our travels. As we 
want to take a trip through Ireland, we will stop at Queenstown ; and here 
is a picture of the harbor," and Uncle George opened one of the large 
books. 

2 



♦ • 



20 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" But, uncle," said Nettie, " the name under that picture is the 'Cove of 

Cork.' " 

'«So it is," said her uncle, "but the explanation is very simple. That 
used to be the name of the place, but in honor of a visit from Queen Victoria 
the name was changed to Queenstown. You must notice the harbor. It is 
one of the best in the world. You see the river— by the way, Burt, what 
river is it?" 




COVE OF CORK. 



" The River Lee," said Burt, glancing at the atlas. 

"Yes, the River Lee widens out into a great harbor, which is almost land- 
locked, as' they say— that is, the land closes in again so that only a narrow 
passage leads to the ocean; and the result is a harbor said to be the finest in 

Europe." 

"What are all those buildings down on the water?" asked Henry, point- 
ing to the picture. 



THF, BRITISH ISLANDS. 



21 



" They are not on the water, said his uncle. That is Spike Island, which 
is nothing but a great big fort. Years ago they used to keep a great many 
convicts here who were kept at work on the fort, and you notice a bridge 
leading over to another small island. There are quite a number of islands 
in this harbor, Queenstown itself -being built on the largest one. The 
place is not a very important one, so we will hurry on. Here, however, is a 
view of the principal street. And, by the way, in the old cemetery of the 
town lies buried the author of the 'Burial of Sir John Moore.' " 




QUEENSTOWN 



*' Oh, yes, I know," said Nettie- 



"Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, 
As his corse to the rampart we hurried." 

Here she suddenly stopped, as she was not quite sure of the next line, 
and perhaps the club didn't care for poetry. But Uncle George said that it 
was just such little items of information that made sight-seeing in foreign 
lands pleasant. 

" We will take a steamer from Queenstown to Cork, which is only eleven 
miles up the river " (here Burt pointed out the exact location on the map), 
" and it is a very pleasant ride. There is just the right combination of wind- 
ing river, lofty hills, interspersed with green, park-l'ke fields, to make it 



22 



SCENES ABROAD. 



thoroughly enjo3'able. There is a railroad skirting either shore, and the river 
is alive with all sorts of water craft. At last we come to Cork," and as he 
spoke Uncle George turned the page of the album he held in his hand, and 
passed it around for the club to examine. 




CORK. 



" And, uncle," said Henry, whose face wore the puzzled look that small 
boys sometimes have when they are wrestling with big ideas, " do they make 
corks there ? " 

The club indulged in a laugh, but Uncle George said he was glad to 
notice the question, and explained that the name of the city was derived 
from an old Irish word meaning " the Marsh." 

" Now, in this town there are a good many interesting places to see. It 
is a very old town, and has a cathedral noted for its chime of bells. It is the 
Cathedral of St, Ann's Shandon. The steeple would attract our attention 
anywhere ; it is faced with gray stones on three sides, and red on the other. 
Every traveler wants to hear its chime of bells. Poets have sung of the 



' ^bells of Shandou 

That sound so grand on 
The pleasant waters 
Of the River I^ee.' 



THE I'.RrriSII ISLANDS. 



23 



" This is the first cathedral," he continued, " that I shall point out to 
you ; but a traveler in Europe soon learns that there is nothing better worth 
seeing than the great cathedrals. Some of them are many centuries old, and 
have most interesting memories connected with them. We will try, by and 
by, to learn something about the different Styles of architecture, and so reall}'- 
enjoy visiting these great churches." 




SHANDON ON THE LEE. 



" Cork lias a history extending through more than twelve centuries. 
Long before Columbus discovered America it was an important town, and, as 
we would expect, a good many places in its immediate vicinit}' have most 
charming stories connected with them ; for time will just as naturally throw 
around old places and old ruins legendaiy stories as nature will clothe them 
with moss." 

" Tell us a story, please, uncle," said Henry. And we are not sure but if 
the matter had been put to vote other members of the club would have decided 
in favor of a story. 

" I hardly think it best to do that," said his uncle with a pleasant 
smile; "but, as a compromise, we will talk about the 'Blarney Stone.' 
The people of Ireland, you know, are celebrated the world over for their 
ready wit ; and, whether right or wrong, those in the vicinity of Cork are 



24 



SCENES ABROAD. 



supposed to be especially favored in this matter. Now in this famous Castle 
of Blarney, some five miles from Cork, there is a stone, and it is said that 
whoever kisses it becomes possessed of this ready wit. There is an old poem 
which thus describes it : 

'There is a stone there' 
That whoever kisses, 
Oh ! he never misses 
To grow eloquent.' 




BLARNEY CASTLE. 



"And as such he is 

' To be let alone ! 
Don't hope to hinder him, 
Or to bewilder him ; 
Sure, he is a pilgrim 
From the Blarney Stone.' " 

There was a general desire on the part of the club to know whether 
Uncle George had embraced this magic stone ; but on that point he preserved 
a discreet silence. 

" If we want to see beautiful scenerj'," continued Mr. Adams, " we must 
make a trip to the lake district around Killarney. See if you can find it on 



Till', nRITISlI ISLANDS. 



25 



the atlas." As it was not plainly marked, Bnrt, wlio by tacit consent had 
charge of the atlas, had some difficulty in finding it, and so his uncle pointed 
out the location of Killarney, which was found to be in quite the southwestern 
part of Ireland. " You notice from the map that that part of Ireland is quite 
mountainous, though we would not consider them very high mcnintains ; and 
as the rain-fall in Ireland is very great, we are not surprised to know there 
are many small lakes and some beautiful scenery in this neighborhood 




^:p^m^d 



GLENGARIFF AND BANTRY BAY. 



" We will take the usual line of travel from Cork, and the first point of 
interest we will strike will be Glengariff and Bantry Bay. This view will 
give us an idea of the beautiful combination of hills or mountains, islands 
and ba3^s. Now, Ida, as you have been so quiet, I am going to ask 3'ou to 
read this account of the- scenery around Glengariff," said Uncle George, 
taking a volume from the case and opening it where he had previoush' placed 
a mark. 



26 SCENES ABROAD. 

Rather timidly Ida read as follows : " Picture to yourself mountains of 
vast proportions, pyramidal form, jagged and rounded and roughened into 
every variety of shape. Group together trees of varied hue, such as holly, 
arbutus with its cluster of white waxen blossoms, like lilies in air, myrtle, 
birch, ash, and oak; arrange them in the most artistic manner conceivable; 
erect a castle yonder, a many-windowed mansion on this rising ground, here 
and there an ivy-mantled cottage snugly nestled. Let tawny tinctured 
torrents tear along channels where foam-bubbles waltz merrily as they whirl 
giddily onward. Now spread oUt a many-miled sea surface, stud it tastefully 
with verdurous islands, and, to sentinel the scene, erect a martello tower on 
this blufif-browed rock islet around which sea-weed fondly clings. Add to 
this the aerial garniture of a summer sunset. Can you conceive such a 
picture ? Well, go to GlengarifF, and the lovely realit}^ will be found to be 
far more transcendentl}' beautiful than any fancy sketch of either pen or 
pencil." 

This was a hard extract to read, but Ida acquitted herself very creditabl}^, 
and the club, with the picture of Glengariff before it, thought it could under- 
stand the writer's feelings. 

'* To reach Killarne}-," continued Mr. Adams, "we will take what they 
call a jaunting car." 

" What kind of a car is that? " asked Willie. 

" Well, in Ireland large sections of country can only be seen by taking 
some kind of a coach. The jaunting car is distinctively an Irish mode of 
conveyance. The outside jaunting car, which is the most common form, is a 
two-wheeled vehicle, with a seat along each side ; the passengers sit back to 
back, and face outwards. Without stopping to describe this journey we will 
pass at once to Killarney. These celebrated lakes are surrounded on all sides 
by hills, which are clothed with forests of evergreen trees, plentifully inter- 
spersed with arbutus. And this tree, by the way, has most beautifiil blossoms 
not unlike lilies of the valley, and it will take root and grow where there is 
almost no soil — out of the very clefts of the rock. You must try and imagine 
how very beautiful is the scene in the fall of the year around such a body of 
water as this," said Mr. Adams, at the same time turning the pages of the 
album he held in his hand. 

" This is a view on the upper lake. The mountains in the background 
are the Magillicuddy Reeks ; they are the highest in Ireland, though their 



TIIK liRITISir ISLANDS. 



27 



highest peak is onl}^ about half as high as JMouiit Washington in our own 
country. The Lakes of Kilkirney are three in number — the Lower, Middle, 
and Upper Lakes — and the scenery of this whole basin is ver}- beautiful. 
The people who live in the neighborhood profess to believe that at times 
they can see, way down under the Avater, submerged houses, and so have a 




MAGILLICUDDY REEKS. 



story to account for them. They tell of a magic fountain which was closed 
by a stone : just roll the stone to one side, and the flow would commence. 
This was a great trysting place for lovers. One night an unfortunate couple, 
after starting the well to flowing, Avere lulled to sleep by the music of the 
flow ; and so the fountain flowed on through the night, and by morning the 
entire vale was submerged. Such is the story," concluded Uncle George, 
" but you need not believe it unless 3'ou want to." 

" Another very lovely spot is what is called the ' Aleeting of the Waters.' 
The channel connecting the Upper and Aliddle Lakes is about three miles 
long and forty feet to forty rods in width. This view is taken just at the 
entrance to the Aliddle Lake. Notice how thickly wooded it is on either 
side. There are mountains in the background, and at one place the mount- 
ain rises right from the very side of the channel. The peak is one great 



28 



SCKXKvS ABROAD. 



bare rock, inaccessible from below. It is known as the Eagle's Nest, and is 
noted for its echo. Our guide at that point blew his bugle, and the echo 
threw the sound back to us nearly a dozen times. Sometimes it would be 
loud and without interval, and then fainter and fainter; then, after a sudden 
pause, again arising as if from some distant glen ; then insensibly dying 
away." 




MEETING OF THE WATERS. 



" But, nncle, what makes it do that way ? " said Henry. But Uncle 
George only smiled, and told him to ask his father when he got a chance to 
explain to him about the echo. 

" The middle lake is separated from the lower lake by a peninsula, which 
is laid out as a park. As it is the private property of the Herbert family, if 
we want to enjoy the beauties of the scene, we must pay an admission fee. 
But it is well worth the price, since by this means we can examine the beau- 
tiful group of ruins of Muckross Abbey." 

" What is an abbey? " asked Henry. 

" An abbey means the buildings devoted to the use of a religious society. 
And so it includes both monasteries and nunneries, or convents. But a^ 
often used, it means only the church of such a society. The view here shown 
is that of the church. Xow that church is supposed to have been built nearly 



Till': i;RITI.SIi ISi'^AXUS. 



29 



six hundred yeaiss ago. Just think what stories these old walls could tell if 
they could only speak. In the court are buried many of the old Irish kings." 
" Kings ! " exclaimed Nettie in surprise. 




MUCKROSS ABBEY. 



"Why, yes," said Uncle George. "In the good ' ould ' times that the 
histories speak of, Ireland was divided into several kingdoms. We are sup- 
posed to be in what was at one time the ' Kingdom of Kerry.' The traveler 
in Ireland," he resumed, after a thoughtful pause, " soon discovers that ruins 
such as those shown here are not the only ones ; in a true sense the people 
of Ireland are themselves a ruin. But we must not stop to moralize after 
this fashion." 



30 



SCENES ABROAD. 



There was a mystified expression on the faces of more than one member 
of the club at Uncle George's last remark, but he made no explanation. 
Turning the pages of the album, he remarked that he would present them 
but one more view of Killarne}^, since they must be hurrying along. 

" This," said he, " is a view of one of several water-falls in this vicinity. 
The volume of water is not great, nor the fall very high; but the surround- 
ings are so exquisite that it is justly praised. Near here is a locality where 




DERRYCUNNIHV CASCADE. 



you have a splendid view of the whole section, I have here a book of poems 
from which I want to read a little extract, for it beautifully describes a similar 
scene : 

From the steep promontory gazed 

The stranger, raptured and amazed, 

And ' What a scene were here,' he cried, 

' For princely pomp or churchman's pride! 

On this bold brow a lordly tower. 

In that soft vale a lady's bower; 

On yonder meadow, far away. 

The turrets of a cloister gray. 

How blithely might the bugle-horn 

Chide on the lake the lingering morn ! 



THE I'.RITISII ISLANDS. 



31 



How sweet, at eve, the lover's lute 

Chime when the groves were still and mute ; 

And wl'.cn the midnight moon should lave 

Her forehead in the silver -wave, 

How solemn on the ear would come 

The holy matin's distant hum. 

While the deep peal's commanding tone 

Should wake, in yonder islet lone, 

A sainted hermit from his cell 

To drop a bead at every knell.' 



" NoAv, we will suppose that we have 
takeu our last look at Killarne}', and 
we wall hurry on. I am sfoing: to take 
you to Scotland next 




Though as we 




FOUR COURTS, DUBLIN. 

pass through Dublin, we must take a few hours' walk through its streets. 
Here is one of the most striking views of the cit}-. Dublin, you now, is the 
capital of Ireland. The history of this town can be carried back to a time 
preceding the birth of Christ, and it has had a very varied history. The 
river — who can tell me w^hat river it is? " 

Some of the club thought it was the Shannon, but others said it was 
the Lififey, which was soon found to be correct, as the Shannon was in Western 
Ireland. 



32 SCENES ABROAD. 

" The river flows right through the city; there are nine bridges connect- 
ing the two parts. Two of tlie bridges can be seen in the picture." 

" The river seems to be quite narrow," said Burt, thoughtfully. 

" It is not very wide, a little over two hundred feet is all ; but a few squares 
further down it suddenly expands into a fine bay. Trinity College, Dublin, 
is justly celebrated as a seat of learning, and some ver}^ eminent men were 
scholars here. One was Edmund Burke, and, as you have all studied history, 
you do not need to be told how good a friend he was to this country in the 
Revolutionary days. A statue to his memory stands only a few squares from 
the bridge shown in the picture, and close to it is the statue of another 
illustrious Irishman — Oliver Goldsmith. Can any of you tell me anything 
he wrote ? " 

" I think," said Nettie, hesitatingly, '* that he wrote the ' Deserted 
Village,' commencing : ■ 

Sweet Auburn ! loveliest village of the plain, 

Where health and plenty cheered the laboring swain. 

" You see, we had that in our grammar lesson," she added, " and so I 
remember it." 

" The trip we have taken through Ireland," said Uncle George, " is a 
flying one often taken by tourists who can devote but a few da3'S to their 
visit. It gives them a chance to see something of Irish life and scenery at 
very little expense of time and money. Now I hope you will remember the 
general outline ; and whenever you have occasion to read or study about 
Ireland, it may seem more real to you on account of this little trip 'you are 
supposed to have taken through a part of the island. 

" Now in this book " (taking up another of the albums) " I have some 
views of Scotland. We are supposed to have gone direct by rail from Dublin 
to Belfast, and thence by steamer to Glasgow. 

" Here is a view of Glasgow. You could tell from it that it is one of the 
busy, growing, pushing-ahead sort of places. Within the present century its 
population has increased from less than one hundred thousand to more than 
half a million. It is the greatest center of ship-building in the world; and 
the inhabitants have displa3'ed a great deal of energy in building up their 
city, and in improving the navigation of the river. They have dredged out 
the bottom of the river, so that the great steel war-ships now sail where the 



o 

o 

> 

V. 

O 

o 







THK BRITISH ISLANDS. 



35 



people could wade with safety comparatively few years ago. By the wa\-, Puirt, 
you must hunt up the map of Scotland, point out Glasgow, and tell us w hat 
river this is." 

In a very short time Burt had pointed out the location of the city, and 
announced that it was the River Clyde. 

" The name Clyde," continued Mr. Adams, " is supposed to be derived 
from a word meaning ' far-heard ' or 
' powerful.' There are three water- 
falls, not very far apart, about twenty- 
five miles from Glasgow, which, when 
the river is in flood, can be heard for 
a long distance — not that they are so 
high, but the high ravine and rocky 
side of the wall make the echo very 
■distinct." 

" The wa}- it was at that other 
place," said Henry, rather indefi- 
nitel}', thinking of the Eagle's Nest 
at Killarney. 

" Yes," said his uncle, *' on the 
same principles. And here is a view 
of the principal fall, called Corra 
Linn. There are three separate falls 
here, eighty feet in all. There is a 
verse of an old ballad which gives a 
traveler's address to the Clvde : 




CORRA LINN. 



O roaring Clj'de, ye roar ower loud, 
Your streams seem wonder Strang: 
Mak me your prey as I come back, 
But spare me as I gang. 

" The whole course of the Clyde, and especially the upper portion of it, 
is historic ground for the people of Scotland. Have any of you ever heard 
of Wallace?" 

Though several had heard of him, there was a general curiosity to know 
what he had to do with the Clyde. 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" Well, some six centuries ago, though England and Scotland were separate 
countries, there was a great struggle going on between them. At that time 
the king of England was Edward I., an ambitious man, who used every 
artifice in his power to extend his sway over Scotland ; and unfortunately, near 
the end of the thirteenth ' 

century, Scotland was di- 
vided by contending fac- 
tions, and so, for the time 
being, England had it all 
her own way. Wallace was 
one of those national heroes 
who, amidst the great diffi- 
culties, finally succeeded in 




rousing the national spirit and 
regaining, to a large extent, the 
liberties of his people. A vast 
amount of tradition and romance 
has gathered about his name, and it is almost impossible to tell what is 
truth and what is fiction. But the principal scene of his exploits was along 
the upper Clyde. Of nearly every place some story is told about what Wallace 
did there. Here, for instance, are the ruins of Bothwell Castle, but a few 
miles from Glasgow. This was built by the English to be a stronghold 
during the troublous times we have just mentioned. Wallace and his force 



THE l',RITISH ISLANDS. 



Z7 



hid themselves in the forests along the river, and were ever ready to pounce 
on any stray force of English. And the early histories are full of his won- 
derful exploits. 




VIEWS IN STAFFA. 



" But if we were to stop and talk all about Wallace, we will take up all 
the evening, so we will come back to Glasgow and start on our travels once 
more. There are two very interesting places on the western coast of Scot- 
land. Nearly every traveler pays them a visit. They are the Islands of 
Staffa and lona. You have all of you heard of Fingal's Cave ? " 
3 



38 SCENES ABROAD. 

" Why yes," said Nettie, '' I know just how the picture looks in the 
geography." 

" Well," said her uncle, " here is a group of four views in the vicinity of 
the cave. Now this cave is a most wonderful scene. You notice in all the 
views the appearance of columns. Those are all natural columns of what 
our geologists call basalt." 

"But what is basalt^ and what makes it take that form, uncle?" asked 
Willie. 

" I am afraid I cannot explain in a few words," said Uncle George, " but 
I can give you an idea, and you can look it up at your leisure. You all know 
what lava is. Well, basalt is a lava rock — that is, lava cooled under pressure. 
As it graduall}'' cools it contracts, but the outer surface becomes solidified 
first; hence the cooling mass tends to split, and the strain being uniform, the 
fractures are uniform ; hence the tendency is to split into these six-sided 
prisms you see here. But now you must study this up " (speaking more 
especially to the boys). " You see, the rest of the club is not particularly 
interested in this matter. 

"The cave itself is about sixty feet high, and about two hundred feet 
long; forty feet wide at the entrance, gradually diminishing to about twenty- 
two feet at the further end. The sea never entirely leaves the cave. The 
water is of a beautiful green color, and with its reflected light it lights up 
the whole interior. The waves, as they ebb and flow, or dash wildly in, cause 
a gentle musical murmur or resounding roar, the 

Diapason of the deep, 
as Scott calls it. 

That mighty surge that ebbs and swells, 
And still, between each awful pause. 
From the high vault an answer draws, 
In varied tone, prolonged and high, 
That mocks the organ's melody. 

" The old native name, by the way, was the ' musical cave.' It has often 
been likened to a cathedral. 



as to shame the temples decked 

By skill of earthly architect, 
Nature herself, it seemed, would raise 
A minster to her Maker's praise ! 



the; BRITISH islands. 



39 



" Take it all together, this is one of the most interesting points we could 
visit. But while we have been looking at the picture, have you, Burt, found 
on the map just where this island of Staffa is? " 



4;. 




-^^#®^S?M^^ 



RUINS OF lONA CATHEDRAL. 

But Burt had already found that 
it was one of the Hebrides, to the 
west of Scotland, and so Uncle 
George continued: 

" You see, to the south of Staflfa, 
about eight miles distance, a second 
small island marked lona. This is 
another interesting spot where all 
tourists stop ; but the interest here 
is altogether historical. This was a 
great center of religious culture. In 
the middle of the sixth centur\% twelve 
hundred 3'ears ago. Saint Columbia, 
an Irish saint, settled on this little 
island and made it his headquarters. 



40 



SCENES ABROAD. 



A most famous monastery was erected ; but the ruins shown in this cut do 
not belong to that, but to a far later time. lona became a sort of Jerusalem 
for all these northern regions. The poets speak of 

Old lona's holy fane, 

And it is interesting to pour over the old records of this monastery. During 
the time of the ravages of the Northmen it was sacked, and the abbot and 




TOMBS OF THE KINGS, lONA. 



fifteen of the monks were murdered. About the twelfth century prosperity 
returned to lona. It became noted as a place of learning. A perpetual stream 
of travelers seem to have flowed backwards and forwards of those thirsting 
for its literary treasures. They came not only from Ireland and England, 
but from the continent of Europe as well. It was regarded as such a holy 
place that people of distinction were carried thither for burial, so we find here 
the oldest cemeter}'^ in Scotland. Lately these graves, or rather tombstones, 
have been arranged in something like order. Here, for instance, is seen the 



THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 41 

tombs of the kings. More than fort}' kings of various races — Scottish, Irisli, 
Norwegian, and even French — are said to ha\e l)een 1)nried on this island. 
You notice carvings in the stone ; the}' are representations of swords, ships, 
armorial bearings, and warriors. You can well see what an interesting place 
this little island ofif the coast of Scotland is. It was the Athens and Mecca 
both of all this northern region." 

Uncle George had unconsciously lapsed into language rather hard for all 
of the club to understand. Henry was decidedly puzzled to know what his 
uncle meant when he said lona was both Athens and Mecca; and we are not 
sure that the older members could have fully explained it to him. In fact, 
Uncle George seemed suddenly to recollect himself, and smiled as he turned 
to another subject. 

" Scotland is especially noted for its glen scenery." 

"What kind of scenery, uncle?" exclaimed Burt, not waiting for the 
explanation which his uncle was about to give. 

" Why, a glen is a long narrow valley. They often inclose a lake, or 
a loch^ as they call them in Scotland. The glens of Scotland are among the 
most beautiful in the world. You see, everything is combined to form a 
beautiful picture. The forests show a great variety of foliage ;• the waters 
change from lake to rushing torrent or foaming water-fall ; the hills are a 
constant alternation of light and shade. Find Oban, Burt," 

Burt pointed it out on the western shore. 

" Oban is the great gathering point for tourists in the Western High- 
lands, and there we will return after our excursion to Staffa and lona. You 
notice Loch Awe to the south of Oban. This whole section around this loch 
was the home of the MacGregor Clan, of which Rob R03' was the famous 
chieftain. Some of yon, perhaps, have read the novel by that name." 

None of the club had, but several mentally resolved to look it up. 

" But, uncle," said Burt, " you just spoke about the MacGregor Clan, 
and I have read before about the clans of Scotland. What are they, an3ru'ay?" 

After a thoughtful pause Uncle George said : 

" Well, Burt, a good deal of time could be spent in answering your 
question. Once on a time the people were all in what we call a tribal state. 
You know in the Bible we read about the tribes of the Jews, and in ancient 
history you read of the Greek and Latin tribes ; and when Rome was a civil- 
ized country, all Europe was still occupied by tribes. Well, these clans of 



42 



SCENES ABROAD. 



Scotland were nothing but the old tribes still keeping up old customs. They 
had their chiefs, and carried to a ridiculous extent their devotion to tribe and 
chieftain. 

" We must not leave Oban without visiting the Castle of Dunstaffnage, 
shown in this cut, located only a few miles to the northeast of Oban, placed 
at the very entrance of Loch Etive. This is one of the most interesting 
spots in the history of Scotland. That ruined castle was once the seat of 




DUNSTAFFNAGE CASTLE. 

government of the Scots from the end of the iifth to the middle of the 
ninth century, before they conquered the Picts, after which they moved their 
capital. Here was kept the rough-hewn block of red sandstone on which 
their kings were crowned, and which was carried to England by Edward I., 
and placed beneath the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey, where it is 
still to be seen." 

" Who were the Picts, and what was the difference between them and the 
Scots?" asked Nettie. 

" You who have read history," said her uncle, in answer to her question, 
" know that in old Roman times all that part of Scotland lying to the north 



THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 43 

of a line connecting the Firths of Forth and Clyde " — indicating it on the 
map that Burt held in his hand — " was known as Caledonia. Afterward these 
Caledonians were known as the Picts, and from them the country was called 
Pictland. The Scots were an invading tribe that came originally from 
Ireland and settled in the West Highlands. They finally conquered the 
Picts, and changed the name of the country to Scotland." 

" So the Scotch are really Irish, are they? " excl-aimed Nettie. 

" Well, hardly that," said her uncle with a laugh, in which the club joined, 
" though there is a great deal of resemblance between the inhabitants of 
Northern Ireland and Scotland. They both belong to the Gallic division of 
the Celtic branch of the Aryan people ; but we are getting be3'ond our depth, 
and must return. You see, though, how much there is to learn in a trip of 
this kind. 

" Wliat is known as the ' Great Glen ' of Scotland extends from Loch 
Linnhe (Oban is on Loch Linnhe, j'ou know) to Moray Firth on the other 
shore. This is a singular depression. If Scotland were to sink just a little 
into the sea, a long narrow strait would occupy this valley, and what is now 
the Northern Highlands of Scotland would be a great island. The long 
ra\ine is bounded on either side by lofty hills, and is occupied by a series of 
narrow lakes. . You notice there is a canal the whole length. Onl\- about 
one-third of the way had to be excavated ; the rest of the way nature had 
already prepared b}^ means of the lakes we have just mentioned and navigable 
rivers. A trip through the canal is a very interesting one, as it gives us a 
chance to see all sorts of Scottish scenery. 

" In our next view is to be seen the most charming bit of scener}- on the 
whole route. It is the ruined castle of Invergarr3\ It was burned in 1746 
by the 'butcher' Cumberland. . I will tell 3'ou about him in just a little 
while," he added, noting the inquiring look on the face of several of the club. 

" The shell of the old castle is beautifully situated on -a rocky knoll, 
dense foliage all about it, and right in front is Loche Oich. If j^ou stop to 
approach the castle, your attention would be arrested by a singular monument 
placed over a spring. The spring is called the ' Well of Seven Heads.' The 
monument consists of seven stone heads, surmounting a pj-ramid. The story 
told about them is that two sons of an influential family were sent to France 
to be educated. Their father died, and the management of their estate was 
left in the hands of seven cousins. They liked their job so well that when 



44 



SCENES ABROAD. 



the rightful heirs returned the}- murdered them. But dire vengeance overtook 
them. The old bard of the family obtained help, and slew them. Not the 
finest kind of a story to tell in connection with such beautiful scenery, is it ? 
" Before we pass out of the glen, when we get within six miles of Inver- 
ness, we pass an historical spot — that is the battle-field of Culloden. Did you 
ever hear of it? " 




INVERGARRV CASTLE. 



Nettie, who seemed to be the one who could recall many little bits of 
poetry, suggested that it was mentioned in " Lochiel's Warnings." 
" That's right," said Uncle George. 

Culloden's dread echo shall ring 

With the bloodhounds that bark for thy fugitive king. 

" Here was where ' Crested Lochiel,the peerless in might,' gathered the 
clans of Culloden, but was overthrown in battle with the English forces, led 
by the Duke of Cumberland. And here is where the latter got his title of 
* butcher ' that I said I would talk about a moment ago." 

" Do you mean he was the one that burned that nice looking castle ? " 
inquired Henry, pointing to the castle of Invergarr}-. 



THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



45 



"The same," said his uncle. "You that have read histon- know that 
Charles Edward, the ' young Pretender,' as he was called, made an attempt 
to gain the crown of England in 1745. The clans of Scotland supported 
his claims. Their power was broken in this battle of Culloden. After the 
battle the English behaved with great severity toward the wounded and 
prisoners. But we must hurrj- along, and we will go directly to Edinburgh 
on the eastern shore. 




EDIXBURGH CASTLE. 



" Edinburgh was the old capital of Scotland, and, of course, we could 
spend a great deal of time here ; but we will content ourselves with just one 
\-iew. Here is the famous castle of Edinburgh. You see it is upon a hill 
nearly three hundred feet above the valley. The hill is ver\- precipitous on 
three sides. Sometimes the kings of Scotland lived in the castle, and some- 
times they were imprisoned there by their powerful barons. In this castle is 
to be seen the regalia, or. as they are called, the honors of Scotland. They 
consist of the crown, scepter, sword of state, and Lord-Treasurer's rod of 
office. There is an interesting stor\' about these 'honors.' WTien James Vl. of 
Scotland became James I. of England. Scotland refused to let the regalia be 



46 SCENES ABROAD. 

carried to London ; and for fear that this would happen they were concealed 
in a vault in a church. Then, long afterward, they were brought to the castle, 
put in a strong oaken chest, and locked up in a room which was never opened. 
Their very existence was forgotten, though now' and then some national bard 
would sing about : 

The steep and iron-belted rock 

Where trusted lie the monarchy's lost gems — 

The scepter, sword, and crown — that graced the brows 

Since Father Fergus, of a hundred kings. 

** But in 1817 a general desire rose to find them, and a committee, includ- 
ing Sir Walter Scott, proceeded to the spot. The kings' smith was commanded 
to force open the great chest, the keys of which had been sought for in vain. 
You can well imagine how pleased they all were, and how pleased all Scotland 
was, to find these precious ' honors ' uninjured after their long concealment 
of nearl}^ two centuries. 

" Now, as we still want to talk about England and Wales, we must hurry 
along. We will suppose that we are back to Dublin, and that we are not 
going to Scotland, but to England. We will go directly to Liverpool, but 
will not stop there. The fact is, Liverpool is a modern city, and the traveler 
will not see much to remind him of foreign lands ; in fact, he might well 
imagine himself in New York or Boston. There is one sight, however, that 
always impresses travelers landing in Liverpool (and 3'ou know there are a 
great many such, for the great majority of tourists make their first landing 
here), and that is the immense docks. They are really among the wonders 
of the world. Fifteen years ago the}^ covered an area of nearly three hun- 
dred acres, and they have been greatly extended since. You who have been 
to New York or any seaport city have seen what we call docks — that is, a 
more or less protected basin where ships can approach the wharves, and re- 
ceive or discharge their cargoes. But at Liverpool the tide rises so high that 
It is necessary to take some means for keeping the water on a level. So these 
docks are immense inclosed basins, protected by a great wall of solid masonry, 
running for five miles along the shore, and only entered by enormous gates. 

" But, as I remarked, aside from these docks, there is but little to interest 
us in Liverpool. Only a few miles from Liverpool, however, we do find a 
city that carries us back to old times. That city is Chester. Point it out on 
the map, Burt ; south of Liverpool, at the mouth of the River Dee." 



THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



47 



" All these big places are on rivers, ain't they, nncle ? " said Henry. 

" Oh, yes, that's trne," said Uncle George, " and there are a great many 
reasons why it should be so. All the more important cities of the world are 
on rivers or some important bod}' of water. Here is a view of Chester," and 
as he spoke he opened still a third album. 




VIEW FROM THF, WALLS OF CHESTER. 



"What is that it says about 'view from the walls,' uncle?" asked Nettie, 
referring to the title of the picture. 

" I was just going to remark," continued Mr. Adams, " that Chester is 
one of the few examples of walled towns now remaining in England. The 
town is entirely surrounded by walls, though they would not be good for much 
as far as defense is concerned ; but they do afford a fine promenade about the 
city. Chester carries us back to old Roman days. They built, a fortified 
camp here, and for several hundred 3'ears it was a Roman outpost. A legion 
of soldiers was stationed here, and the name Chester is derived from a Latin 
word meaning camp. Then after the Romans left, Chester still remained an 
important place. A great many mementoes of Roman times, such as tombs, 
inscriptions, pottery, fragments of mosaic pavements, and coins, have been 
found. A great deal of ancient history is connected with this town which 
we cannot stop to talk about. 

" The walls are probably the most interesting feature about Chester, 



48 



SCENES ABROAD. 



though they do not reach back to the Roman period by many centuries. 
There are a number of gates and towers in the wall nearly all of interesting 
historical significance. Here are views of two of the towers. The one 
marked the ' Phoenix Tower ' bears this inscription : ' King Charles stood on 
this tower Septr. 24th, 1645, ^^^ ^^^ his army defeated on Rowton Moor.' 




WATER TOWER. 



And in connection with that inscrip- 
tion I would say that Chester was 
one of the towns that stood up for 
Charles I. in his quarrel with his 
Parliament." 

" And he got his head cut off, 
too," said Henry, recalling a story he had coaxed out of his father only the 
night before. " I bet he felt bad when he saw his soldiers whipped," he 
added. « 

" Undoubtedly he did," said Uncle George, " but he couldn't blame any 
one but himself for his troubles. Now from Chester we can take a little run 



THP: BRITISH ISLANDS. 



49 



into North Wales. You notice on the map which Burt holds in his hand tlie 
Island of Anglese}-. It is separated from the mainland of Wales by a narrow 
strait. Standing on its shores you would never think it was really an arm of 
the sea; you would surely call it a river. The channel is narrow and winding; 
the banks are quite steep, and often wooded to the very shore. A good deal 
of history is connected with the shores of this strait. It was here that the 
Romans met with the fiercest resistance ; and the old historian Tacitus gives 
an interesting account of the attack on the Island of Mona^ as it was called 
by them. In his description he tells about the Druid priests urging on the 
natives to battle." 




MENAI SUSPENSION BRIDGE. 



" There," said Willie, " I saw something about those Druids, the other 
day, in the encyclopedia, and I was going to ask you about them." 

" I will only take time now to say that the priests of all savage people 
tend to form a closely connected body, and among quite a number of the 
people of Western Europe this body of priests was known as Druids. Long 
after Roman times the Saxon kings of England fought many desperate 
battles along these shores. Here is a picture that will give you an idea of the 
scenery along the strait. You notice a suspension bridge. But a short 
distance below this bridge there is another, not quite so nice looking, but 
generally regarded as a more wonderful piece of work, called the Tubular 



50 SCENES ABROAD. 

Bridge. Two immense iron tubes are stretched across the straits, supported 
by a tower in the center of the strait. 

" Now we will go back to Chester. It is only a few hours' ride by rail- 
way, and let us look at some of the English water scenery. The lake district 
of England is awa}^ up in the northwestern part. Here we have a view of the 




DERWENTWATER. 



most noted lake, Derwentwater. Notice the big hills surrounding it. And, 
by the way, all the hills or mountains, as the}^ might be called in this 
district, have a wonderful story to tell if we onl}^ know how to question 
them right." 

"What do you mean, uncle?" asked Henry, who hardly knew what to 
make of his uncle's words. 

" Wh}', I mean this, Henry, if we only knew how to explain everything 
we see in connection with the mountains, we will come upon quite an interest- 
ing period in the early history of the world. Because once on a time this 
whole section must have been thicklv studded with volcanoes. There must 



THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



51 



<i^^ 



have been tremendous eruptions of lava; vast quantities of ashes and broken 
stones were also poured out. Some of the hills that overlook this lake are 
simply lava ridges which, in the long lapse of ages, have been clothed with 
vegetation. So you see how much is to be learned if we only know how to 
observe. 

" Right on the edge of this lake there is a water-fall which is celebrated, 
not for the amount of water or height of fall, but for what the poet Southey 
has written about it. That is the Fall of Lodore." 

As he said this, Uncle George 
picked up a book, opened it, and 
asked Ida to read a verse he 
pointed out. Ida read as fol- 
lows : 

And thumping and plumping and 
bumping and jumping, 

And dashing and flashing and splash- 
ing and clashing, 

And so never ending, but alwaj-s de- 
scending, 

Sounds and niotions forever and ever 
are blending 

All at once and all o'er with a mighty 
uproar ; 

And this way the water comes down at 
Lodore. 



writing, 




f[Mm(n'>¥'^ 



FALLS OF LODORE. 



" That is a ver}- fine piece of 
said Uncle George, 
*' but it is hardly true of the fall 
itself, unless 3'ou happen there 
shortly after a big rain, otherwise it is rather a tame sight. 

" As for English scenes proper, the best course is to select various views 
without regard to the order in which they occur. 

"I want to talk to you about Centerbur^' Cathedral. There are other 
cathedrals in England more imposing, perhaps ; but none have the historical 
interest that attaches itself to Canterbury. This also was an important place 
even in Roman times." 



52 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" Uncle," said Nettie, " I wanted to ask you once before just what you 
meant by Roman times." 

" Why, when the Romans held Great Britain," exclaimed Burt, when he 
stopped, rather confused, to think he had undertaken to answer the question. 
But his uncle said that was all right, and asked him to be a little' more definite 
in his reply. 




CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL. 

"Well," said Burt, " I read in Hume's history how the Romans, led by 
Caesar, invaded Britain about 55 b. c, but how Agricola was the general who 
finall}^ conquered the island, and then when Rome began to fall to pieces 
they abandoned it about 448 A. d. ; and the time between these two dates 
must be what is meant by the Roman period." 

*' Very good," said Uncle George. " Well, in Roman times, as I said, 
Canterbury was quite a point. This importance it still maintained when the 
Saxons took possession of Britain. But its great importance is from a 
religious view. Near the end of the sixth century a band of monks, under 
the lead of Augustin, arrived in England, and were assigned quarters in 



THE BRI'IMSH ISLANDS. 



53 



Canterbury. From that time until the present day it has remained the center 
of religious life in England. In the views I have here you see the present 
appearance of the cathedral and that portion of it known as ' the choir.' 




THE CHOIR. 



" During the Middle Ages this became a ver}' celebrated place, owing to 
the martyrdom of Thomas 'a Becket. Becket was the Archbishop of Canter- 
bury. He got into an unfortunate quarrel with Henry II., and was finally 
murdered by some over-zealous friends of the king. 

" Now in the next view you see the place — although it has been com- 
pletely remodeled since — M^here this cruel deed took place." 
4 



54 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" I think I have read somewhere that the king had to do penance for 
this," said Burt. 

" Oh, yes ; it soon became evident that this act was not only a crime, but, 
politically s'leaking, a blunder. King Henry went barefooted to the grave, 
and remained there all nigbt, besides submitting to light blows from each 
bishop and monk." 




TRANSEPT OF THE MARTYRDOM. 

" I wouldn't have done that if I had been king," said Henry. But Uncle 
George only smiled, and turned to another subject. 

'* Now," he continued, " I am going to show you views of some castles. 
A traveler in Europe finds a great deal to interest him in the ruined castles. 
They are not only picturesque ruins, but they generally have a good deal of 
history connected with them, going back to the old feudal times." 

Burt could not forbear asking his uncle what he meant by feudal times ; 



i 



THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



55 



but his uncle thought it best not to attempt to enter into an explanation, and 
told him to look it up; and if he could not understand it, he would ex- 
plain it to him some other time. And we might add that Burt found a 
great deal to be learned about that subject. 




FLINT CASTLE. 

• 

" Here is a view of a castle in the southwestern part of England, almost 
on the border of Wales. There is not so much of interest about it, though 
it is a fine ruin. During the w^ars between King Charles and his Parliament 
a number of battles were fought for the possession of this castle ; and when 
the Parliamentary forces conquered, the}' destroyed as much of it as they well 
could. Near here is the Chepstow Castle, which is noted as the place of the 
long imprisonment of Henr}' Marten, one of the regicides. Can au}- of 3'ou 



56 



SCENES ABROAD. 



tell me about the regicides?" lie added, noting the inquiring look on more 
than one face. 

No one volunteering to answer, Uncle George continued: " When King 
Charles ' got his head cut ofif,' as Henry said a minute ago, it was done, of 
course, under process of law. The judges who tried him and condemned 
him to death were afterwards called regicides, meaning king-murderers. 
Marten was one of them who trusted to the promises of Charles II. that he 
would pardon them. But, instead of so doing, he was confined in Chepstow 
Castle for twenty years. 




WINDSOR CASTLE. 



" But, talking about castles of England, we cannot do better than to visit 
Windsor Castle. This castle has not only a good deal of history connected 
with it, but is at the present day intimately connected with British royalty. 
It is beautifully situated. The Thames River, as you see, runs at its base, 
and the whole site is historic. Runnymead and Magna Charta Island are 
right before us. You that have read history do not need to be told how 



THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



57 



important those places are in the history of English libert3\ And if yon 
have not read about them, you will be much interested in reading any good 
history about the trouble between King John and his barons." 

" Magna Charta," repeated Henry, " I heard something about that, but 
tell me a little about it now." 

*' Well, only just an outline '^i^->^Li!J!: 
then. Early in the thirteenth 
century John, King of England, y'' 'j 
found himself involved in dis- 
putes with his barons, the power- / 
ful nobles of England. They 
forced from the king what is 
known as the Magna Charta. It 
was really a treaty between the 
king and his people. It gave to 
the people the promise 6f free- 
dom, justice, good government, 
and security from unjust taxa- 
tion. This celebrated charter 
was signed on what has been 
known since as Alagna Charta 
Island. This little picture repre- 
sents the great wrath of John 
in having to sign the treaty. 
Referring to Windsor Castle 
again, I might saj- that the big John swearing vengeance against his barons. 
round tower we noticed is supposed to have been built by William the 
Conqueror. Here is a little piece that I want Ida to read for us." 

Ida read as follows : " The history of Windsor Castle is, to a great 
extent, the histor}^ of England. * * * j^ its walls our monarchs have 
dwelt in uninterrupted succession since the days of Henr}' Beauclerc ; in its 
chambers no little of their life's drama has been pla3-ed. Courtiers have in- 
trigued or plotted : this one has been raised to sudden favor, that dismissed 
to disgrace or to the headsman's ax. Princes have been born, been wedded, 
and died : not a few of our kinsfs and their kindred rest in the vaults of its 
chapel. There have been man}- other roval houses in their time, but all have 




58 



SCENES ABROAD. 



had their day. The Tower of London is but a barrack for soldiers and a 
store-house for arms ; the Royal Palace of Westminster but a name ; St. 
James is practically untenanted save by dependents ; Kensington and Kew 
are in like condition ; Sheen, Theobalds, and many more have disappeared 




EXECUTION OF CHARLES THE FIRST. 



or are owned by other lords : but Windsor Castle remains the historic palace 
of our kings, the inalienable possession of the Crown of Great Britain." 

" Now that gives us an idea of the importance of Windsor Castle," said 
Mr. Adams ; "and, as it says, many kings are buried in its vaults. Henry 
VIII. rests here, after his strange career, by the side of Jane Seymour ; and 
thither was borne the body of Charles I. after his sad execution. It was 
taken there secretly in the dead of night." 




HENRY VIII. 



59 



THK BRITISH ISLANDS. 



6i 



" Another class of ruins of great interest to all travelers is that of ancient 

abbeys." 

" Like that one in Ireland," broke in Henry, thinking of Mnckross Abbey 

at Killarney. 




BEAULIEU ABBEY. 



" Yes," continued Uncle George, " that is one example. England was 
once ver}^ plentifully supplied with abbeys, and their ruins are often very 
interesting. Here is a view of one in the southern part of England. What 
a beautiful ruin that is, all overgrown with running vines ! The country 
round about is interesting, too. England once on a time was a very heavily 



62 



SCENES ABROAD. 



wooded country. This part of the island never has been cleared up. And 
here used to be the royal hunting grounds. Here was where William Rufus, 
the Red King, was hunting on that fatal day that he was killed by a glancing 
arrow. You must look tliis point up in your history. 




GREAT PORTAL, CROWLAND ABBEY. 

" Now, I will take you to another part of England to view this ruin 
This is in the eastern part of England, in what is known as the Fenlands, 
You notice what they call The Wash on the eastern shore. The country all 
around is very lov/ and marshy, so it is called the Fenlands. Within the last 
century it has been dyked and ditched, and so is much better than it once 
was. Abbeys were once very thick here. Every little piece of land more 



THK r.RITISII ISLANDS, 



63 



elevated than the general mass was the site of an abbey. Tlie reason is quite 
obvious. Such little tracts of land were fertile and well protected. Those 
who fled from the world found here a quiet, safe retreat. This particular 
group of ruins dates from times preceding the Norman Conquest ; indeed, 
those were the days of its greatest prosperity, and a good deal of Engli.sh 
history is connected with it which we cannot now stop to talk about. 




BISHAM ABBEY. 



" It is now getting late, but I want to show you some views of English 
river scenery. We cannot do better than to take the Thames. The Thames 
from Windsor to Reading has on its banks some of the finest river scenery in 
the world. Groves mantle the steeper parts ; they cluster thickly on the brow 
of the plateau, and seem to extend backward from its edge far over the uplands. 
In the intervals between them are grassy slopes — sometimes fields of waving 
gram — all diversified with scattered trees. Here and there we may see some 
stately mansion, or at the foot of a long slope some little village, or a larger 



64 



SCENES ABROAD. 



town with a magnificent park laid out along the river bank. The views 
which we have are a fair sample of the scenes, and with them we will close our 
trip for to-night." 




THE THAMES AT RAY MEAD. 



We do not think that Uncle George would have stopped at this point, 
but Aunt Mary entered the room, and he knew that in her estimation it was 
time for the club to adjourn. As he closed the book, Mr. Adams continued: 

" You see, children, this is our first meeting, and we will know better 
how to go about next time. We will look at some pictures of Scandinavia 
and Russia two weeks from to-night. Burt, remember you miist look up about 



THK BRITISH ISLANDS. 



65 



the climate of the British Isles. I hope you have enjoyed yourselves; and if 
you think of any questions you would like to ask about the places we have 
visited to-night, you must feel free to do so." 

Soon after, the members of the club were on their way home, and it was 
the general opinion the}^ had had a pleasant time. They certainly had learned 
quite a number of little facts in regard to the history and geography of the 
British Islands. As Ida said, " It seemed more real than what they read in 
the old books at school." 

Ah, Ida ! the trouble is not in the books, but in your feelings. One is 
work, the other play ; and this distinction makes a wonderful difference not 
only with little boys and girls, but with men and women as well. 




WHtlAM THE CONQUEROR. 



66 



SCENES ABROAD. 



CHAPTER III 




Scandinavia and Russia. 

• 
THB middle of January approached, and the time 
came for the second meeting of the chib, the weather 
was not as pleasant as before. The customary Jan- 
uary thaw, with its usual accompaniment of slush, 
had come. But it was again growing cold. Old 
Winter, as if ashamed of his momentary weakness, 
was again asserting his authority. Perhaps he had 
sent a peremptor}^ order to Boreas that there must be no more dallying. At 
any rate the north wind was getting down to business again, and the signal 
service gave warning that away up in Manitoba a new consignment of winter 
weather, fairly entitled to be called a blizzard, was on its way. But Uncle 
George's nephews and nieces were glad when the time came to meet again. 
The library' was warm and light. Uncle George had been to New York on a 
little matter of business, but he had returned some days before ; and we 
expect, if the truth were told, that he, too, enjoyed these evenings with the 
children : for, did j^ou know that those who have experienced the trials as 
well as the pleasures that come with the passage of years know of nothing 
more pleasant than the companionship of innocent, pure-minded children ? 

And so we need not wonder th'at Uncle George's greeting was so cheery that 
ever}' member of the club felt at home. Henry did not have the remotest 
idea of staying down with Aunt Mary this time ; but, on the contrary, 
thought he could see better right up side of Uncle George, who certainly was 
glad to have the little fellow there. Mrs. Scott had accompanied the children 
this time, and she and Aunt Mary had ventured to seat themselves at the 
further end of the room. They were apparently busy with some light fancy 
work, but their attention was mainly centered on the children. 

" Now, before we commence the evening's trip," began Uncle George, "I 
want Burt to tell us what he has learned about the climate of Western 
Europe." 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 67 

" Why, I Studied that point up some, uncle, but I hardly know as I 
understand it myself. It seems that the Gulf Stream has a good deal to do 
with it. We all know what that is, unless it is Henry here. But I was sur- 
prised to see it all figured out — what an immense amount of heat is carried 
out of the Gulf of Mexico by that current. As it passes north it gradually 
bends off to the east, and finally passes quite near to the shores of the British 
Islands and Norway — in fact, of Western Europe generally — and so the winds 
that blow off of the ocean on those lands I have named are warm and moist 
winds. Why, I read that if it were not for the Gulf Stream that England and 
Scotland and Ireland would be most as badly off as Labrador. But, on 
account of it, the myrtle blooms in Northern Ireland, and even way up in 
the Faroe Islands the inland waters do not freeze in winter. I think it is 
pretty lucky for all that country that it has our Gulf Stream." 

" How big is it? " asked Willie. 

" Oh, it is bigger than all the rivers of the world put together," exclaimed 
Burt. " I read that it was real narrow and deep where it starts, down by the 
Strait of Florida, but that it spreads out and loses in depth as it flows on. 
But some one estimated that on an average it was fifty miles wide, one 
thousand feet deep, and runs, or flows, four miles an hour." 

" My ! " exclaimed Nettie ; but Henry didn't clearly understand what they 
were talking about. 

" That is very good, " said Uncle George. " You now see, Willie, why the 
vegetation was so green in Ireland. But we must go ahead wdth our work for 
the evening. 

" Scandinavia includes the peninsula of Denmark, and that of Norway 
and Sweden. Here we strike a foreign land, for the language is no longer 
English. That will not bother us an}^, for the American traveler, wherever he 
goes, will find some one who understands English. Of late j^ears the tide 
of travel has turned more and more toward this part of Europe. Some one 
has said that Scandinavia fills a larger place in the history of Europe than 
it does on the map, and that is a true saying. Did you ever hear of the 
vikings ? " 

The name had a familiar sound to several, but they couldn't quite place 
it, and Mr. Adams continued : 

" In time long gone by the inhabitants of Scandinavia were the fiercest 
kind of pirates. You see from the position of their countr}^ they naturally 



68 



SCENES ABROAD. 



became expert sailors, and in those early days it was not thought wrong to 
rob and murder foreign people. So these restless Scandinavians would 
organize piratical expeditions. Now, here is a picture of one of their old 
boats in which they made such voyages. It is surprising how far the}^ would 




ANCIENT VIKING BOAT. 

venture in such boats. There was scarcely a country of Europe that did not 
dread them. In your history you have doubtless read how terribly England 
suffered by their inroads. These rovers of the sea were called vikings. Of 
late years we in America have taken a new interest in them, since we now 
know they discovered America nearly a thousand years ago." 
" Why, was Columbus a viking, uncle ? " asked Henr3\ 
"Oh, no, Henry," said Uncle George. "You see Columbus simply re- 
discovered America. These old vikings found it, though, four hundred 3^ears 
before he did. But let us come back to our trip. Burt, you open the atlas 
fit the large map of Europe." 

When Burt had opened the atlas so that all could see, Mr. Adams said : 




70 



VIEWS IN COPENHAGEN. 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUvSSIA. 7I 

" Now, Denmark will not detain us long. We will stop at Copenhagen. 
That is on the Island of Zealand. There is actually nothing in the country 
to interest us. The peninsula of Jutland is sandy and uninteresting. The 
islands are more attractive. Here we have a collection of views in Copen- 
hagen. Number one is one of the old palaces now used by the Academy of 
Fine Arts, Two is the interior of one of their churches. Three is the 
university. Four is the large open square called the King's New Market. 
Twelve streets branch out from this square to different parts of the city. 
Number six is the Thorwaldsen Museum. Thor^aldsen was the greatest 
sculptor of Europe in his da}-, and Copenhagen is very proud of him. This 
museum is entirely given up to mementoes of him. Not shown in this view, 
but near the Christiansburg Palace is another great museum, which is among 
the most valuable in Europe. It is the ' Museum of Northern Antiquities 
and Ethnographic Museum.' They have there a most wonderful collection of 
objects illustrating every step in the various stages of civilization through 
which their country has passed, from the earliest times down. You will 
understand the importance of such a collection when you get older and learn 
with how much interest scholars all over the world are now studying into 
such questions. 

" Denmark is now but a fragment of what it once was. The Faroe 
Islands belong to Denmark, so do Iceland and Greenland. Norway used to 
belong to it. In fact, once on a time Denmark just about ruled all Europe. 
That was in the days of King Canute, when the British Islands formed a part 
of his possessions. When you get older and read 'Hamlet,' you will see how 
Shakespeare refers to that old time, when the king says : 

And England, if my love thou hold'st at aught, 
As mj' great power thereof may give thee sense, 
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red 
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe 
Pays homage to us . 

" And we might remark that Elsinore, the scene of ' Hamlet,' is but two 
hours ride from Copenhagen, and there the guides Mall show you the ' grave 
of Hamlet ' and the * brook of Ophelia.' It is needless to add that these are 
entirely spurious ; but, as the tourists keep asking for such things, thej' 
kindly supplied the long-felt want." 

5 



72 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" How long ago was it that Denmark was so prosperous, uncle? " asked 

Willie. 

" King Canute reigned early in the eleventh century ; and, by the way, 
here is a picture of this king, and a good story is told of him. His courtiers, 
to flattei him, told him that the very winds and waves would obey his voice. 
To rebuke them he caused his chair to be placed where the tides would 




CANUTE THE GREAT AND HIS COURTIERS. 

overflow it. When the water came crawling up, and got unpleasantly near 
him, he commanded it to retire. This, of course, had no effect on the water ; 
and then the king reminded his courtiers of their foolish words, and told them 
that God was the only real king. It is said that he never wore a crown after 
that event. 

" From Copenhagen we will start for Non\^ay, going direct to Christiana. 
And here is a view of the city. Have you found it, Burt ? — almost north 
from Copenhagen, at the head of Bohus Bay." 

But Burt had already pointed it out. 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



73 



" This is the capital of Norway, and is ver}^ plcasantl}- situated. You 
see the fiord is dotted with islands*; the hills round about are covered witli 
firs ; that little river — the Agerselv — intersects the cit}'. The Norwegian Par- 
liament meets here ; and should you want to study about the Viking Age, 3'ou 
will find a splendid collection at this place of their arms and implements. 
Christiana is well worth a visit from the tourist, though we cannot agree 
with the natives — and, b}' the way, 3'ou cannot find a people who think more 
of their countr}' — -when they calmh- assert that it is a finer city than Paris. 





CHRISTIANA. 



" Uncle, I wanted to ask you what is a fiord," broke in Henry. 

" Well, you look at that map of Norway that Burt has, Henry, and don't 
you see how very irregular — all notched, so to speak — the coast is ? Those 
are narrow little valle3's running in from the sea, and the sea-water, generally 
quite deep, covers the bottom. The native name for these is fiord, and some- 
times they extend a long ways inland. I may say that some of the finest 
scenery in the world is to be seen along the coast of Norway. 

Now, I want to show you one more Norwegian cit}', and so \\'ill take 
one on the western coast — that is Bergen. There is a fine harbor here, and 
you notice the hills behind the city. It is said that th:re is no getting out 



74 



SCENES ABROAD. 



of Bergen on the east or north, except by going right straight up, the hills 
are so very steep. But toward the south tli^y are not so steep, and the road 
is bordered for miles with pretty country houses of wood, brightly painted 
and curiously carved, with pretty summer homes perched among the trees. 
If we should follow along the coast, we come upon a wooded country with 




BERGEN. 



stony hills, meadows strewn with bowlders, and we would not go far before 
we would come upon some fiord. Bergen was for a long while one of the 
principal cities of the Hanseatic League." 

" I am glad you mentioned that, uncle ; I wanted to find out something 
about that league," said Burt. 



SCANDINAVIA AND RU.SSIA. 



75 



"The Hanseatic League was an association of cities along the Baltic and 
in Northern Europe generally. They were united for the purpose of trade. 
It accomplished a wonderful work in civilizing Northern Europe, making all 
sections of Europe acquainted with each other, and suppressing piracy. It 
became very powerful, too. In the latter part of the fifteenth century it 
waged war, with success, against England. It did for Northern Europe what 




HANSEATIC SHIP. 



the Phoenicians did for the Mediterranean region. You see, trade and com- 
merce have done more to make our lives on the earth pleasant than all the 
wars put together. By the wa}-, I have here a picture of one of the vessels 
of this league. For several centuries it was ver}- powerful in the affairs of 
Northern Europe ; and Bergen, as I said, was one of its principal cities. 

" Now, we are not through with Norwa}-, but I am going to show 3'ou 
some Swedish views. Yon, of course, know that Sweden and Norwa}' are 
now united. The iinion, however, is a very loose one. It is what the}' call 
a personal union — that is to saj^, the}' have the same king, but each countr}' 



76 



SCKXKS AliROAI). 



is entirely independent as far as making its own laws and self-government is 
concerned. Here is a view of Stockholm ; that, }^ou know, is the capital of 
Sweden. You find it on the map, right on the eastern side of Sweden, at the 
junction of Lake Malar with the Baltic. 




STOCKHOLM. 



*' The way tourists generally approach Stockholm it appears very beauti- 
ful and strangely varied. Lake Malar is thickly dotted with islands. I have 
seen that there are some thirteen hundred of them. The city is built partly 
on these islands, and for that reason is sometimes called the ' Venice of the 
North.' When we talk about the real Venice, you will see why Stockholm is 
so named." (This last was in answer to an inquiring look from Henry.) " The 
view before us is that of the central island, Staden. You see there are excel- 
lent harbors on both the Malar and Baltic sides of the city, and so there is a 
constant hurrying to and fro of ocean-bound ships and steamers, loading 
and unloading, and bound for various parts of the world. 

" In the background of the center of this picture 3'ou notice a prominent 
building, with a cupola on top. Well, that is the Royal Palace, and here is 
another view of the same building, which is really a magnificent building. 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



n 



" The builders had one of the most beautiful sites in all Europe to build 
upon, and took excellent advantage of it. There are over five hundred rooms 
in the palace, not counting the kitchens and cellars, and some of the rooms 
are simply magnificent. The throne room, for instance, is one hundred and 
forty-three feet long and fifty-one feet wide. In it there is a silver throne. 
There is not a finer palace in Europe." 




ROYAL PALACE, STOCKHOLM. 

In our opinion the club was justified in the general expression of admir- 
ation which followed this description. Henry mentally resolved that when 
he went traveling he would be sure and see this palace. 

"You can at once see," continued Uncle George, "when j^ou consider 
the immense number of islands, that the little excursions which can be made 
from Stockholm by steamer to the charming little resorts around are simply 
innumerable. There is one park called the Djurgard, which can be reached 
in a few minutes' ride b}' steamer, that is certainly magnificent. It is twenty 



78 



SCENES ABROAD. 



miles in circumference, and is beautifully laid out. There are hills and val- 
leys, and finely kept roads winding around among great forest trees. Here is 

a view of it. Rosendale Castle 







is one of the buildings of the 
park. On another lovely island, 
but a few minutes' ride, is the 
Royal Summer Palace of Drott- 
ningholm. It is surrounded by 
beautifull}^ kept grounds, and 
contains quantities of curiosities 
and works of art. 

" You that have read history' 
know that Sweden has at two 
different times exercised consid- 
erable influence in Europe within 
recent centu- 
ries, and conse- 
quently there 
_ _____-— ^^^ statues and 

nor kings — ^BmH^HzP^E^'^^My^.i^'^^ many memen- 
Charles XII. WKM^ lllMf^'' '^^■HwitiWiii toes of their 

and Gustavus ^^^ fg^^/Ktlj^^^^^^^^ ^'^^^^^ two great war- 
Adolphus. I 
presume that 
most of you 
have heard of 
Gustavus Adol- 
phus ; if not, you 
will when you 
read general his- 
history. He was 
a great general, 
and made Sweden 

everywhere respected. During what is known as the Thirty Years' War Gus- 
tavus Adolphus was the great general on the Protestant side. He was about 
the only one who could cope wdth the great imperial commanders, Till}- apd 



ROSENDAI.l'; CASTILE. 



KNIGHTS' HOUSE. 




3 

o 

w 

u 
o 

o 



w 

■J 

o 



Q 
O 

03 

W 

a 
{-< 

o 

Pi 

o 



o 

00 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



Si 



Wallenstein. He was killed at tlie moment of victory. Yon need not be sur- 
prised to hear that the uniform in which he was killed, all stained with blood, 
is still preserved in one of the museums of Stockholm. We have here a view 
of a large bronze statue of Gustavus Adolpluis. 







STATUE OF GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS. 



" Another of their great soldier kings was Charles XII. At the earW 
age of fifteen he took up arms in defense of Sweden. Wonderful success 
followed his efforts, but he suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of Peter the 
Great. He was finall}^ killed in attempting to conquer Norway, though it is 
thought by some that he was assassinated by one of his own soldiers. This 
large picture shows us the funeral cortege conveying his body to Stockholm. 
He was indeed a strange character, and, though a great general, his reign 
was on the whole disastrous to Sweden." 

After the club had examined these pictures, and a few questions had been 
asked and answered in regard to Stockholm, ]\Ir. Adams continued : 

" Now, I want to talk to ^-ou generalh' about Scandinavia. You know it 
is perfectly natural for every people to think their country and their people 
to be a little better than any other country or people. The Scandinavians are 
especially noted in this particular. They do love to dwell on their past great- 
ness, and they can see a great man}- more beauties in their countr}- than an}- 



82 



SCENES ABROAD. 



traveler can. Of course, the larger part of Norway and Sweden is very pictur- 
esque as far as scenery is concerned. Here is a view of Norwegian scenery — 
Lake Bandak. You must notice the imposing mountains coming right down 
to the shore. This is quite a pleasure resort, and little excursions are made 
from Christiana by tourists. The section .of country in which this lake is 





LAKE BANDAK. 



situated is Thelemarken, in the southern part of Norway. It is one of the 
most picturesque provinces. It has a number of lakes, fine water-falls, and a 
variety of mountain scenery ; but it is so rugged that there are few good 
roads, and in consequence, if you want to study Norwegian character, there 
is a good place. Here is a little account of the Norwegians which Ida may 
read for us. This is about the only way we can get Ida to let us know she 



SCANDINAVIA AND RISSIA. 



83 

Ida 



is here," added Uncle George with a smile, as he handed her the book 
took just as much interest as the rest, but she was naturally very quiet. 

She read as follows : " In no land is hospitality more open-handed and 
unaffected than in Norway ; and though these features are naturally becoming 




COSTUMES OF THELEMARKEN. 



blunted along the beaten lines of travel, the genuine goodness of heart, fine 
gentlemanly feeling, and entire absence of that sordidness which is^so often 
seen even in primitive regions, cannot fail to strike the unprejudiced observer. 
One of the peculiarities of the Norwegian farmer is, that when visiting a 
friend he must ignore all the preparations made for his entertainment. He 



84 SCENES ABROAD. 

will see the cofifee roasted and tlie cups set out, and then, just when the good 
wife is about to offer him her hospitality, he gets up, bids the family good- 
bye, and is only persuaded to remain after some resistance. Every cup must 
be filled to overflowing, otherwise the host would be thought stingy. When 
milk, brandy, or beer is offered, the guest invariably begs it will not be 
wasted on him, and then, after emptying the cup, declares that it is too much 
— going through the same formality, it may be, three or four times." 

After the laugh had subsided Uncle George told them that every people 
had their peculiar ideas as to what was appropriate, which would often strike 
others as very absurd, and then he called their attention to a picture repre- 
senting the costumes of the inhabitants of Thelemarken. 

" Talking about national customs, there is one Swedish custom ct)m- 
memorated at Christmas Eve that pleases all who observe it. Each house 
raises a sheaf of grain to the roof, so that the wild birds may have their 
Christmas, too. Here we have a view of such a scene, and 3-ou notice the 
boys coasting. Boys generally manage to have a pretty good time wherever 
they may happen to be. 

'' Now I am going to show you some views that will acquaint us with 
another feature of Scandinavian life. You all know that Norway and Sweden 
extend quite a ways north. The northern part of the peninsula, in fact, lies 
beyond the Arctic Circle, and so is in the — well, Henry, can you tell us what 
zone? " 

*' Why, yes — North Frigid Zone," answered Henry, with quite a com- 
placent air of wisdom. 

*' That's it," said Uncle George, " and so, of course, the winters are ver}' 
long, cold, and dreary ; the summers short, hot, and the days very long — in 
fact, at the extreme north it is practically day all the time for several weeks. 
The sun onl}' disappears below the horizon for a short while, and you, of 
course, know that in some places you can see the sun all night long." 

" Why, how funny ! Did you see that, uncle ? " broke in Henry. 

" Well, no," said Uncle George. " I never happened to be in the extreme 
north of Norway in the summer time, but I have talked with a number who 
have been there. But what I was going to talk about was the people who live 
in those northern regions. Does any one know who the}- are? " 

" Ain't they the Lapps ? " said Nettie. 

" And the Finns? " added Burt. 




SWEDISH WINTEU CUSTOMS. 



85 



SCANDIXAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



87 



" That is right. Now it may not be generally known that these people, 
the Lapps and Finns, are only a fragment of the people that once extended 
very generally over Enrope, but now the}- are to be found in the extreme 
north of Europe. Here we have a view of Lapland. It looks pretty 
dreary, don't it ? The Lapps are a nomadic people." 




" What kind of people, uncle? " said Henr}^ 

" Nomadic, Henr}^ — that is, wandering, having no fixed place of living, 
though this is not true of them in all places. If you were to see them, 3'ou 
would probably notice their round face, short flat nose, and wide mouth. The}' 
are named according to their manner of gaining a livelihood. There are the 
sea Lapps, who live by fishing along the shores of the sea ; the river Lapps 
along the river ; and the mountain Lapps. The reindeer, as you know, is 
the animal that is of the greatest service to the Lapps. The}- keep them 
as we do cattle. It is their sole wealth. It gives the milk and butter, and it 
is their beast of burden. Its skin supplies them with clothing, and when old 
or infirm its flesh is used as food. It feeds on lichens, mosses, willows, and 



88 



SCENES ABROAD. 



the dwarf Arctic vegetation in general. In winter it digs under the snow for 
its- food, which consists almost entirely of reindeer moss. Here is a nearer 
view of a herd of reindeer." 

" What would they do without it ? " exclaimed Henry. 




REINDEER. 



" Well, there is no animal that would quite take its place, that is sure," 
added Uncle George. " I only want to add that once on a time the reindeer 
lived over Europe generally. In what is now Southern France they once on 
a time were very abundant, and it is equally sure that at that time the climate 
must have been very different from what it is now. 

" The remainder of the evening we will devote to Russia. This is a very 
interesting, but also a very difficult, country to visit. It will be necessary for 
us to have our passports correct in every respect, or we won't get in, in the 
first place ; and, in traveling around, it will be very necessary to keep them 
properly vzseed, or we will be getting in trouble all the time." 

** What is a passport, and why didn't you tell us about it before?" asked 
Nettie. 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



89 



" I have not mentioned them because we have not needed them heretofore. 
A passport is a document given by the authorized officer of a state. It is 
supposed to give the holder the support and protection of his government, 
and entitles him to the protection of the government in whose territory he 




NICOLAI BRIDGE. 

may be traveling. We will suppose that ever^^thing is all straight with us, 
and so we will go directly to St. Petersburg. Show them where it is, Burt." 

Burt pointed it out, and the club saw that it was almost directly east of 
Stockholm, at the further end of the Gulf of Finland, at the mouth of the 
River Neva. 

" Here," resumed Mr. Adams, '* is our first view of St. Petersburg. You 
6 . . • 



90 



SCENES ABROAD. 



see the Neva River, and the one stone bridge crossing it. The Neva is not a 
very long river, but it is wide, and it brings down an enormous quantity of 
clear, cold, blue water to the Gulf of Finland. 

" In the beginning of the eighteenth century this territory belonged to 
Sweden, but Peter the Great annexed it, and determined to build a new 




M 



STATUE OF PETER THE GREAT. 



capital at this place, which was simply one big marsh. So he set a whole 
army of men at work deepening the river, raising the islands, driving whole 
forests of piles into the swampy ground for a foundation. Year after year 
this work went forward. Foreign workmen were hired to embellish the cit}^ 
Rich Russian nobles and merchants were commanded to come there and erect 
buildings. Here we have an equestrian statue of this great Czar. Notice 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



91 



the enormous bowlder on which the statue rests. It weighs about fifteen 
hundred tons. It was found about four miles away in a swamp, and took five 
hundred men and a large number of horses about five weeks to move it to its 
present resting place. 

" Peter the Great was the founder of modern Russia. He was a strange 
character. When he commenced his reign his people were only about half 
civilized. When he was building his new capital he lived in a little cottage 




THE WINTER PALACE. 



on the banks of the Neva. That building is still preserved with the greatest 
care. Contrasted with the poor, almost insignificant, little cottage inhabited 
by Peter, the palace of the present Czar is a very great change. I have a view 
of it here. It is the famous Winter Palace. The first time it was built it 
occupied over thirty years in building, but it was destroyed by fire fifty years 
ago, and the Czar then on the throne had it rebuilt in a single year. A great 
army of workmen were employed, and the whole resources of Russia were 
brought to bear on it. Now, Ida, you read about this palace." 



92 SCENES ABROAD. 

Ida took the book that Uncle George handed, and read the following 
extract : 

" The interior of the palace is a marvel of splendor ; oriental luxury and 
occidental splendor are both apparent everywhere. Curtains and tapes- 
tries of silk, satin, and damask; vast mirrors, ornaments of amber, lapis-lazuli, 
marble and malachite statues, paintings, and bronzes are all mingled in 
unimaginable profusion. In the throne room is an image of St. George ; 
before it burns continually a lamp of massive gold, suspended by chains of 
precious stones. The numerous splendid rooms are crowded with historic 
and other paintings. The drawing-room of the empress has gilded walls and 
ceilings. In one room are deposited the crown jewels. Here on the imperial 
scepter of Russia gleams the great Orloff diamond, said to have once formed 
the eye of an Indian idol. It is valued at nearly two million dollars." 

" Uncle, I wanted to ask," said Henry as Ida stopped reading, " what is 
that oriental and that other kind of luxury Ida read about ? " 

" You mean oriental and occidental luxury," said Uncle George. "Well, 
oriental means the east or eastern countries, and occidental the western 
countries ; or, in other words, here was a mixture of the grandeur of both 
Asia and Europe. Does that make it clear ? " 

" Oh, yes ; I guess I understand now," replied Henry. 

" It was Peter who defeated Charles XII. of Sweden that we were talking 
about a little while ago, and I see that we have here a picture from a painting 
representing Peter on that famous battle field." 

" By the way," continued Uncle George, " the palace stands near the Neva. 
On the opposite shore is an immense castle. Now the Neva, as you might 
guess, freezes over in the winter, and sometimes remains frozen until late in 
the spring. While in this state, of course, foreign vessels cannot approach 
the city. So you can see how glad they all are when the ice finally breaks 
up. When that event happens, whether by day or night, the big guns in the 
castle are fired, and the commandant of the castle is rowed across to the 
palace and presents a goblet of clear cold water, dipped from the middle of 
the stream, to the Czar. After sipping some of the water, the Czar returns 
the goblet filled with silver coins." 

" I should think the soldiers would be sure to get a good big goblet if 
they get it back filled with money," said Willie. 

*' They do say," replied Uncle George, with a smile, " that the tendency 




PETER THE GREAT ON THE BATTLE-FIELD OF PULTOVA. 93 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



95 



was for the cup to increase in size, but they finally compromised the matter 

by agreeing on a fixed sum to be given b}' the Czar." 

" I see I have here," he con- 
tinued, turning the pages of hi; 
album, " pictures of two quite 
noted rulers gf Russia. Catherine 
II. was one of the most remarkable 
women of the eighteenth century. 
She made her way to the throne 
by deposing and murdering her 
husband ; and she was a ven,- 
despotic and arbitrary ruler. But, 
for all that, her reign was a re- 
markabh' brilliant one for Russia. 





CATHERINE II. 

Nicholas I. is another singular 
character in the later histor}' of 
Russia. He was known as the 
Iron Czar. He was the autocrat 
of Europe. But he was behind 
the times in many ways. By the 
way, he was the one that built that 
famous Winter Palace that we 
looked at a moment ago." 

" He wasn't the Czar that was 
killed a few years ago, was he?" 
asked Willie. 

"No, that was his son, Alexander II. ; but I presume we have had 
enough of history, and so we will turn to our pictures again." 



NICHOLAS I. 



96 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" Here is a view of the Cathedral of St. Isaac. That is the finest 
cathedral in all Russia. The top of the cross you see on the dome is three 
hundred and sixty-six feet from the ground. To get a suitable foundation a 
vast number of piles, twenty-one feet in length, were driven into the ground. 
It cost a million dollars just for that part of it. The central cupola you see 
is covered with copper, overlaid with gold, and from the little rotunda above 




CATHEDRAL OF ST. ISAAC. 

it a grand view is obtained of the city. As you might suppose, the interior 
is magnificent. Porphyry, jasper, malachite, and other costl}' materials are 
freely used. The inner sanctuary, into which no woman is allowed to enter, 
is approached by a bronze door, having on each side a column of lapis lazuli 
costing thirt}' thousand dollars apiece." 

" Why can't a woman go into the inner sanctuary ? " said Nettie, in a 
rather defiant tone. 

** I cannot answer that question," said Uncle George. " Probably for 
some religious reasons," he added. 

" The religion is Catholic, I suppose," said Burt. '■ 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 97 

" No, 3'ou are mistaken there, unless you make an explanation. You 
see there are two great divisions of the Catholic Church — the Roman Catho- 




METROPOIJTAN OP ST. PETERSBURG. 



lie and the Greek Catholic. I have here a picture representing the Metro- 
politan of St. Petersburg and his clergy. 



98 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" But we must hurry along, I will now show you some views in Mos- 
cow : point it out on the map, Burt — southeast of St. Petersburg, distance 
about four hundred miles. You must notice the railroad, how straight it is. 
When the engineers laid before the Czar (the same Nicholas we were just 
talking about) plans for that road, it zigzagged and curved, as railroads gen- 
erally do, to avoid obstacles and strike important towns ; but he took a ruler 
and drew a straight line between the two cities, and said ' Build it that way/ 
And that is the way it was built. 




MOSCOW. 



" Here is a general view of the city, and in many respects this is the 
most interesting cit}^ in Russia. It was the old capital before St. Petersburg 
was built, and every Czar must go to Moscow to be crowned. This is not a 
verj^ old place as age is reckoned in Europe, being only about seven centuries 
old. 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 99 

. " Moscow is full of interesting places and mementoes. In this picture 
we have what is known as the great bell of Moscow, and in the background 
the most famous cathedral that stands in the Kremlin, or citadel of Moscow. 
I might remark that, in the Greek Church, bells play a very important part 
in the ceremony ; and so every cathedral is plentifully supplied with them. 
This big bell is so very big that it is unmanageable. It weighs nearly two 
hundred tons." 




THE GREAT BELL AT MOSCOW. 



" There is a piece chipped out of the side," said Willie. 

" Yes ? Well, that piece, Willie, weighs about eleven tons," said Uncle 
George, " so there is no danger of any one's taking it off." 

"What about the cathedral?" asked Burt. 

"Yes, I was going to say that that is the Cathedral of the Assumption, 
or Repose of the Virgin. It is not a very large cathedral, but all the primates 
of Moscow are elected within its walls,. and it is very rich. There is one pic- 
ture in it of the Virgin, which the orthodox Russians are supposed to believe 
was painted by St. Luke. The picture is fairly covered with jewels. I have 
seen their value estimated at more than a quarter of a million dollars. .But 



lOO 



SCENES ABROAD. 



the greatest importance of this cathedral is, that all the Czars of Russia, 
from the days of Ivan the Terrible, have been crowned in it. In this cere- 
mony no one but the Czar takes part. You see he is the head of both church 
and state. Alone he kneels before the assembled multitude in prayer ; then 
he places the crown upon his own head." 

" Who was that terrible Czar you spoke of? " asked Nettie. 

" Ivan the Terrible? He was a sixteenth century Czar, and was one of 
those strange characters that now and then flit across the stage of history. In 




ENTRY OF IVAN INTO KAZAN. 



some respects he was undoubtedly a madman, and gave way at times to the 
most fiendish cruelties. Yet he accomplished a great deal for Russia, and 
materially advanced her in civilization. Here we have a picture of this 
famous Czar after his conquest of Kazan, a large district in the eastern part 
of Russia. 

** Moscow might be called the 'City of Churches,' and we might remark 
that the Russians are very religious in a certain sense. There is scarcely a 
bridge or a street corner without its shrine — some rudely pictured saint with 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



lOI 



a burning taper before it. Every passer-by bows and worships. The rich, 
riding by in their carriage, rise up in reverential silence ; and the poorest 



I 




CATHEDRAL OP ST. BASIL. 

Street beggar does not forget to uncover and spend a moment in pra3'er. But 
religion sits rather loosely. Here is a picture of another great famous 



I02 SCENES ABROAD. 

<;athedral, built by that same Ivan I was just telling you about to com- 
memorate his great victory in Kazan. Hundreds of artists were kidnapped 
from Ivubeck to assist in the adornment of the building. It is said that when 
the building was completed Ivan had the architect's eyes put out, to prevent 
him from erecting anything equal to it." 

" I shouldn't think he would dare to do that," exclaimed Nettie. 

'' The Czars of Russia apparently care ver}^ little for the rights or 
Avrongs of their subjects. It is the most despotic country in Europe." 

" Wasn't Moscow burned once ? " inquired Willie. 

" Yes, and that makes me think — have any of you ever heard about 
Napoleon's march to Moscow?" 

" Yes," said some. But as Henry wanted to hear about it. Uncle George 
told him how proudly the French army entered Moscow as conquerors^ but 
the second night after their entry the city was fired in hundreds of places; 
and as the fire engines had been removed, nothing could check the flames. 
As a consequence, almost the entire city was destroyed. Palaces and temples, 
works of art and luxur}', buildings which had stood for many years, all w-ere 
destroyed. And so the French army was compelled to retreat just as winter 
w^as setting in. Then the Russian forces appeared on the scene, and as a 
result of their attacks, and the exposure to the weather and of hunger — for 
no food could be obtained — only a small portion of the French army reached 
France in safety. From that disastrous expedition dates the downfall of 
Napoleon." 

" Who was Czar at that time ? " inquired Burt. 

" Alexander I., father of Nicholas I., whose picture we looked at a 
moment ago, and great-grandfather of the present Czar. But now let us 
return to our views. We have been talking so much about churches that we 
will now look at a pleasure resort. The principal one is the Petrofski 
Gardens. This is a great resort in summer time. The road leading to it is 
thronged with vehicles and well-dressed pedestrians, who go there to enjoy 
the music and flowers. Guards and police keep order at the gates. Within 
there are varied attractions — promenades and lawns, artificial caves, glens 
and grottoes. In the evening, avenues of many colored lights and festooned 
arches conduct to pagodas used as theatres, and there are, in addition, grand 
-displays of fireworks." 

'• That looks awful cold," said Henry, referring to the picture. 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 




CHATEAU OF PETROFSKI. 

" Yes ; that is the winter scene, 
Of conrse, this gay season oul}^ lasts 
a few months." 

" What is that ver}^ nice look- 
ing house with so many cupolas ? " asked Nettie. 

" That is the chateau built b^- the Empress Elizabeth. Napoleon 



104 



SCENES AliROAD. 



Stopped there for a few days after the burning of Moscow, Now I think the 
balance of the evening we had better talk about the Russian people gener- 
ally. Burt, can you tell me the racial name of the Russians?" 

" I don't know what it is, unless it is Slavonians." 

" That is right, and I am glad you recalled it. All the European people 
are called Aryans,- but there are great divisions of them, such as the Teutons, 




,^/j* 



SAMOYEDE ENCAMPMENT. 



Scandinavians, and Slavonians. The Slavonians constitute the people of 
Russia and several smaller bodies of people in Southeastern Europe, such as 
the Servians, Montenegrins, and others. Russia, as you know, is an immense 
large country — not only in Europe, but in Asia. So, of course, there has been 
a wonderful mixture of people. But, as a whole, the people are Slavs. Way 
up in the northern part of Russia we come upon a people much like the Lapps 
and Finns ; and, for that matter, one large district of Russia is called Fin- 



vSCANDINAVIA AND RU.SSIA. IO5 

laud, since it is inhabited almost exclusively by Finns. But the special people 
I have in mind are the Samoyedes, and here is a picture of one of their 
encampments." 

"And there are some more reindeers, ain't there, uncle? " said Henry. 

" Yes. The reindeer is found generally in the extreme northern part of 
Europe and Asia, and these people would be just as much at a loss to know 
what to do without these useful animals as the Lapps. But now, returning to 
the Russians proper, we must say that the Slavs are much more united than 
any other Aryan people. You see, they are virtually all under one govern- 
ment. The other little kingdoms, like Servia, are insignificant in themselves ; 
and then, besides, they are all under Russian influence, and it may be that 
before many years they, too, will be a part of Russia. Then, again, they are 
all united in religion — they are Greek Catholics. There are other religious 
sects, to be sure, but they are only a small fraction of the whole. Then, 
besides, they have similar customs. I am a little afraid you will not feel much 
interested in this matter, but I want to tell you a little about their village 
life." 

There was a general desire to hear, and so Uncle George continued : 

*' You remember the other night we talked a little about tribal society 
and about the clans." 

*' Oh, I know ; up in Scotland," said Henry. 

" Just so. Well, the Slavonian people generally show very distinct traces 
of such a life. They are not called clans, but mirs. Properly speaking, each 
village in Russia is a mir, and governs itself and owns its own land, and all 
in the mir stand on an equality. They are supposed to divide the land among 
their members ever}- three years. They execute their own laws, and can banish 
a refractory member to Siberia if they want to. In process of time the chiefs 
of these mirs became an hereditary class, and the common mass of the people 
became literally slaves, but they always clung to their old organization. A 
few years ago these slaves, or serfs, as they were called, were freed by the 
Czar; but unfortunately, owing to the workings of a great many causes, their 
condition is not much better. In a great many respects Russia is as yet an 
undeveloped country, just as they have retained traces of their old tribal life, 
after the rest of Europe have forgotten it. The}^ are backward in other re- 
spects, and so they have a great deal of experience to go through with that 
the other nations of Europe have passed through. 
7 



io6 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" Their government, which is now the most absolute in all Europe, will 
have to be brought in some way to the constitutional basis. And the great 
mass of the people have yet to be educated, and throw ofif" that old dependence 
on tribal customs which now hinders them. In short, Russia is now going 
through a very critical time in its history. There is a widespread discontent 
among the masses of the people at the existing order of things. And some 




VILLAGE FETE IN RUSSIA. 



day there is going to be a wonderful upheaval, which will shake Europe to 
its center. 

" What about the Nihilists, uncle? " asked Burt. " I have read a good 
deal about them lateh^ — are they good or bad people? " he added. 

" I presume," replied Uncle George, " that we have all been prejudiced 
against Nihilists because we did not understand the true state of affairs in 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



107 



Russia. The Nihilists, Henry" (noting the inquiring look on his face), "are a 
secret body of people having for their object the overthrow of existing laws 
and customs in Russia. We have been apt to think of them as Anarchists, 
who wanted to overthrow all laws, and have naturally supposed they included 
only the worst elements of the population. But Mr. Keenan, who has been 
writing and lecturing about them, tells us that they include in their ranks 
some of the ver}- best people in Russia. 




RUSSIAN* VILLAGE. 



" But we must not take up too much of the time with such talk as this," 
■continued Uncle George. "As I said before, the great feature of Russian life 
IS villages. There are comparative!}^ few large towns and cities, and we would 
think a Russian village a very dull place to live in. Here we have a view of 
a village in Southern Russia. In a Russian village there are sure to be 
several crosses often elaborately carved and covered vr. a deeply cut inscrip- 



io8 



SCENES AI5ROAD. 



tions, or decorated with gay colors. The houses are nearly ahvays built with 
the gable end to the street, and in the center of the gable there is usually a 
window opening on a balcony." 

" How do you travel around there? I don't see many railroads," asked 
Willie. 




RUSSIAN TARANTASS. 



" In districts off of the railroads you will have to rely on the posting 
system. That is to say, there are official post-houses where horses, drivers, 
and conveyances are furnished. But I can assure you that you will not relish 
this sort of traveling. The accommodations are wretched. The carriages, or 
wagons, have no springs, and the horses are driven on the keen run. Riding 
in an old lumber wagon is luxury compared with it. 

" Of course, you understand that I have been talking about the peas- 
antry, which includes the great bulk of the people of Russia. There is, of 



SCANDIX.WIA AXn RUSSIA. 



109 



course, another class, including the rich and well-to-do people, and the 
nobility. I have here a view of the costumes of ladies of this class. These 
are from various towns. As you may suppose, the dress of the peasantry is 
in keeping Vith what they eat. A cotton .shirt, a pair of linen trousers, and 




RUSSIAN WOJtKX. 



bark shoes in summer suffices ; sheep-skin clothing in winter, and coarse 
woolens. So, you see, you observe all kinds of life in Russia. 

" Now we will devote just a few minutes to Siberia. You, of course, 
know that Russia in Europe is only a small part of the Russian Empire. 
We have been accustomed to think of Siberia as a most desolate region. But 
our enterprising American traveler, Mr. Keenan, has recently published a 



no 



SCEXKS ABROAD. 



wonderfully interesting series of articles, and we are probably all surprised 
to find how much of that country is really fertile land, and what a bright 
future is ahead of it. I have here a view of Lake Baikal in Siberia. This 
lake is nearly' four hundred miles long, but not more than twenty or twenty- 
five miles wide. Its basin is quite elevated, as it is more than twelve hundred 
feet above the level of tlie sea. 




LA1:E liAIKAL. 



" Siberia, as you know, is mainly distinguished as the place where Russia 
sends her prisoners. It is their great penal colony. Yon might think it 
would be easy to get away from such a large country, but it is extremely 
difficult to do so. To the north there is a frozen ocean ; to the south there 
are almost impassable mountains, dreary deserts, and the most inhospitable 
part of Asia. Probabl}- in no other way does the terrible short-comirr of ihe 



SCANDINAVIA AND RUvSSIA. 



I 1 1 



Russian Government show itself more plainly than in their treatment of the 
exiles to Siberia. When we read Mr. Keenan's articles on this subject, it is 
impossible to repress the feeling of indignation. We feel almost as if the 
whole civilized world ought to interfere. It is impossible to escape the con- 
clusion that such a system cannot last. We feel sure that the storm must 
arise that wall deluge all Russia in blood. The sorrowful feature is that such 
a conflict must cause a vast amount of innocent suffering. 

" Now we have gone far enough for this evening. I think we are getting 
along real well, and next time we will take in Teutonic Europe — that is, 
Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Austria. But let me ask you : Are you 
satisfied? Is it what you expected? Perhaps you are tired, and don't much 
care to keep it up." 

There was a very general expression of approval. Even quiet Ida 
expressed herself as having a splendid time. As for Henry, though he had 
taken possession of a sofa near his mother and Aunt Mary, and there was a 
verj:' tired and sleepy look on his chubby face, he said: "Why, of course, we 
want to go on ; we have only just got started." 




PETER THE GREAT. 



112 



SCENES ABROAD. 



CHAPTER IV. 




Teutonic Europe. 

NOVELTY had, of course, worn off at the third meeting 
of the club, but the substantial results remained. Many 
little details of history and geography had a new meaning. 
At school, Henry's teacher was astonished, when she asked 
him some question about St. Petersburg, to find how much 
he knew about the place. It was indeed a great improvement; for, to 
tell the truth, Henry was one of those bright little fellows who, full 
of life and energy, had not yet realized the necessity of study, and did not know 
how to apply himself. The winter had been mild and pleasant for that 
locality, and, as a consequence, there had not been much sleighing or skating 
to occupy the time of the young folks. This, perhaps, was one reason why 
they looked forward with interest to the meetings of the club. Children will 
be children after all, and their little hearts and hands will as naturally turn 
to what promises them a good time as flowers turn their opening buds to the 
sunshine. 

Uncle George found himself thinking considerably about the next tour, 
arranging his pictures in order, and getting up his part of the programme. 
Mrs. Scott had fully intended to accompany the children once more; but just 
at the last moment something detained her, and so the children went alone, 
though the coachman drove for them. As usual, ever3-thing was in readiness, 
and Uncle George soon called them to order around the library table, on which 
he had previously placed a number of books, including the indispensable 
atlas. 

" This evening," he began, " we are going to visit Teutonic Europe. 
In our last trip, 3^ou remember, we visited Slavonic Europe and Scandinavia. 
Now, the Scandinavians are very closely related to the Teutons. The 
English, the Scandinavians, and the Teutons form the Germanic people of 
Europe. The first country we will stop at will be Holland." 



Tia'TOXIC I'l'ROi'K 



113 



At a si_u;-n from Tiu-Ic George, Burt had opened the large atlas at the map 
of Holland so that all could see it. 

*' You have all heard of the dykes of Holland. Here is a picture of a 
small part of the coast protected by a dyke." 




DYKES ox COAST OF HOLT,AND. 

*' It looks like a railroad, don't it, uncle? And \vhat is it there for?" 
said Henry. 

"A large part of Holland, Henry, is below the level of the sea. In fact, 
a large part of Holland is artificial land ; so, to keep the waters off of the 
land, they have had to build a great big dam along the coast. We have little 
idea of what a tremendous amount of work and cost all this has involved. 
Why in Zealand alone, which is only one of the provinces of Holland, there 
are nearly two hundred and sixty miles of dykes. The province of Friesland 
is defended for fift3'-five miles by three rows of dykes of a verv^ expensive 
kind. Every great city in Holland is protected by dykes." 



IIA 



SCENES AHROAI). 



" I should think they wouldn't want to live there," said Nettie. 

" On the contrary, the Dutch are very proud and very fond of their little 
country. They take a great deal of pride in the fact that they have changed 
a country consisting of swamp and marsh, or shifting sand, into one of the 
most fertile countries of Europe. And they have a great deal to be proud of 




QUAY IN A:\ISTKKD.-\M. 

in their history. That little neck of land dared to defj'^ Spain when Spain 
was the most formidable power in Europe, and it came out victorious in the 
fight, too. And there was a time once when Holland led the world in com- 
merce and voyages of discovery. But we must hurry on. 

** To give you an idea of a Dutch city and its scenery, we will go at once 
to Amsterdam. Here we have a view of Amsterdam. You know at St. Peters- 




TTfi 



YIKWS IX AMSTKRDAM. 



TKITOXIC KIROPR, 11/ 

burg we talked about the numerous piles that had to be driven for a founda- 
tion. Almost ever}^ town in Holland rests on piles. This would strike you 
as a very queer place. You see the River Amsel empties into the Y, a branch 
of Zuyder Zee, at this place. There are aboiit ninet}' islands, and a great 
many canals ; and on these canals are a great many ships, coming and going. 
Here is a little extract for our reader," saying which he handed Ida a book. 

Ida read as follows : "At every turn of a street 3'ou see in a new direction 
three, four, or even six draw-bridges, some rising, some falling, some closed, 
and some in motion, presenting a confused perspective of beams and chains, 
as if Amsterdam were composed of so many enemies' quarters, all fortified 
against each other. Canals as broad as rivers form here and there spacious 
basins, around which 3-ou can go b}- a succession of bridges joined one to the 
other. From every crossing can be seen distant perspectives of other bridges, 
canals, shipping, edifices, all veiled in a light mist, which makes them look 
more distant. The canals are covered with ships and barges ; and in the 
streets that flank them are seen on one side heaps of casks, bales, and sacks ; 
on the other a row of splendid shops. Here a draw-bridge rises to give 
passage to a ship; there the people swarm upon one which has but just fallen 
into its place again ; further on a raft ferries over a group of persons from 
the other side of the canal; from the bottom of the street a steamboat is just 
setting off; at the opposite extremity a long file of laden barges are just 
coming in." 

" How large is Amsterdam ? " inquired Willie. 

" Nearly three hundred and twent}^ thousand," replied Uncle George. 
" I have here," he continued, " a collection of views in this city. You must 
notice the canals right in the ver\' heart of the city. Holland is cut up by 
numerous canals. Very often the canals are higher than the surrounding 
land, and then the water off of the land is pumped into the canal. For this 
purpose wind-mills are used. These wind-mills are one of the sights of 
Holland. You see, the}' have no water power, there is no coal, and so the 
people have to fall back on the wind. You can hardl}^ look out of doors 
anywhere in the country without seeing a wind-mill. They do ever3^thing — 
drain the land, grind the grain, break up stone to be made into cement. A 
person's wealth and social position is estimated b}^ the number of wind-mills 
he has. 

" Did 3^ou know that the Dutch cities and villages were celebrated for 



Il8 SCENES ABROAD. 

their cleanliness ? They are excessiveh' neat about the house. Everything 
is frequently scrubbed and scoured ; but ever}'- traveler will say that the Dutch 
nose is not easily disturbed. There is not much current to the canals, and 
sometimes they smell anything but sweet. But not ver}' far from the city is 
the famous village of Broek, said to be the cleanest town in the world. It 
used to be forbidden to smoke in the street without a cover on the pipe, for 
fear ^-ou would scatter the ashes. If a citizen sees a leaf or straw fall upon 
the pavement, he is expected to come out and pick it up, and throw it in 
the canal. Here is a little description of a dair}' farm near Broek which Ida 
may read for us." 

Opening the book, Ida read the following : " Man}- people among us 
who wear expensive clothes and sport gold watches have not such pretty 
and clean houses as those in which the cows of Broek reside. Before enter- 
ing, 3'ou are requested to wipe your feet on a mat laid there for that purpose. 
The pavement of the stalls is of various colored bricks, so clean that the hand 
could be passed over it ; the walls are covered with pine wood ; the windows 
decorated with muslin curtains and pots of flowers ; the mangers are painted ; 
the animals themselves are scraped, combed, washed, and, that they may not 
soil their coats, their tails are held up b}- a cord which is attached to a nail in 
the ceiling." (Here the reading was interrupted by Henry. He could keep 
his face straight no longer.) "A clear stream of water running through 
between the stalls carries of all impurities, except under the animals' feet. 
There is not a straw or a stain to be seen ; and the air is so pure that if you 
close \^our eyes, you ma}' imagine yourself in a drawing-room." 

" I think you will agree with me," said Uncle George, as Ida closed the 
book and the laugh subsided, " that Broek deserves its name. It is said that 
the Dutch clean everything they possess once every day, and three times on 
Saturday. There is, of course, a little good-natured exaggeration in this 
account. But the butter and cheese of Holland are famous everywhere. Enor- 
mous quantities of cheese are exported to London every year ; and even 
farther than that, for the celebrated Edam cheese that we buy in this country 
is imported from Holland. 

"About ten miles to the west of Amsterdam is an interesting old town — 
Haarlem. When you enter the city, you see on every side canals, wind- 
mills, draw-bridges, and fishing boats. Near the center of the city is a large 
square, a portion of which is shown in this cut. The quaint old town hall 



TEUTONIC EUROPE. 



119 



is on one side of the square. B}^ the way, Haarlem is noted for its flowers. 
About the end of April the country is ablaze with flowers. Great quantities 
of them are sent even as far as London. Tulips are their especial favorite. 
By the way, once on a time there was a wonderful craze over these flowers 
in Holland. Fabulous sums of money were paid for rare specimens. I have 
read of ten thousand dollars being offered and refused for one bulb of an 
unusual variety. But the craze spent itself finally." 

" How foolish to give so much money as that just for a flower ! " exclaimed 
Ida. 




TOWN HALL, HAARLEM. 



But Uncle George said that they were no more foolish in this matter 
than people generally are when they go wild over speculation. 

*' Now, to show you how the Dutch go to work to increase the area of 
their land, I will speak of Haarlem Lake, or sea, which used to extend 
between Haarlem and Amsterdam, separated b}^ a ver}' narrow stretch of land 
from the Y. Now that lake covered over fort3'^-five thousand acres of land, 
and we need not wonder that the Dutch wanted to get rid of it. So they 



I20 



SCENES ABROAD. 



threw a great big double dyke around it, inclosing a canal ; put four mon- 
strous steam pumps at work pumping the water out of the lake into the 
canal. In four years' time the job was completed, the lake was no more. 
You can imagine, though, with how much care the dyke keeping out the 
water of the Y is looked after. If that should break, thousands of people 
would be drowned, and many millions of dollars worth of propert}^ destroyed. 
" Uncle," said Burt, " what is the difference between the Dutch and the 
Germans? I know there is some difference," he added. 




" The difference is about the same as that be- 
tween the Scotch and the English. The people of 
Prussia are properly Germans, and they feel insulted 
to be called Dutch. But we must hurry on. 

" Another Dutch city of some importance is Rotterdam, right in the 
southwestern part of Holland, where the River Meuse begins to open out to 
the sea. This city has a big future before it, and probably at no very distant 
day will be the commercial capital of Holland. Along the bank of the Meuse 
a d3^ke is built called the Boompjes. This is the busiest part of the city. I 
have here an interesting account of a traveler's impression of Rotterdam, 
including his visit to this d\-ke, which Willie may read this time." 



TKUTOXIC KUROPE. 



121 



Rather confused, since he did not expect to read, Willie took the book 
which Uncle George had opened, and read: "From canal to canal, and .from 
bridge to bridge, I finally reached the dyke of the Boompjez upon the Meuse, 
where boils and bubbles all the life of the great commercial city. On the left 
extends a long row of small many-colored steamboats, Mhich start ever}' hour 
of the day for Dordrecht, Arnheim, Gonda, Schiedam, Brilla, and Zealand, 
and continnall}' send forth clouds of white smoke and the sound of their 
cheerful bells. To the right lie the large ships which make the voyage to 
various European ports, mingled with 
fine three-masted vessels bound for the 
East Indies, with names Avritten in 
golden letters — Java, Sumatra, Borneo, 
Samarang — carrying the fancy to those 
distant and savage countries like the 
echoes of distant voices. In front the 
Meuse covered with boats and barks, 
and the distant shore with a forest of 
beech trees, wind-mills, and towers ; 
and over all the unique sky full of 
gleams of light, and gloomy clouds 
fleeting and changing in their move- 
ment, as if repeating the restless labor 
on the earth below." 

"One little item of interest," continued Uncle George as Wi'^ie ceased 
reading, " ought to be known. In the public square of this city stands a 
statue to Erasmus. I don't know as you have heard much about him, 
but when you read history about the general revival of learning, which led to 
the Reformation, you will find that Erasmus played quite a conspicuous part 
in this work. He was born in Rotterdam." 

"Oh, I read somewhere," exclaimed Burt, "about the Reformation, that 
Erasmus laid the egg, and Luther hatched it. What did they mean ?" 

" They meant that Erasmus by his writings really laid the foundation 
for the Reformation, which Luther carried out. But, coming back to Rot- 
terdam, you must understand that the whole of the city is intersected by 
canals, broad, long, and deep, capable of accommodating vessels of heav}^ 
tonnage. It is interesting to walk through a Dutch city and find everywhere 




ERASMUS 



122 



SCENES ABROAD. 



these canals, with streets on either side, and trees along the side of almost 
every, street, and you can never get away from the ships. Right in the very 
heart of the city you will find the large ships discharging their cargoes. 




You see the masts of ships among the houses, above the trees, beside the 
churches, and all along the houses. Here is a picture which gives you an 
idea of what it is like. The church, I might remark, is the Church of 
St. Lawrence, and from the tall spire we get a splendid view of the city. 

" Not far from Rotterdam is the town of Deft, from the harbor of which 



TEUTONIC KUROPK. 



123 



place, called Deft Haven, the Mayfloivcr sailed with the Puritans when they 
left Holland for this country, so ever}- American should remember that ]jlace. 
But it is also memorable to the historian as the place of the assassination 
of William the Silent. The picture I have here is not that celebrated Prince, 




WILLIAM, PRINCE OF ORANGE. 

but William of Orange, who afterwards became King William HI. of England. 
His great ancestor, William the Silent, was a most remarkable man. I think 
every one that reads an account of his life must admire him. He it was who 
conducted the ever-memorable defense of Holland against Spain. He w'as 
indeed the father of his people. He went through life, ' bearing the load of 
a people's sorrow upon his shoulders, with a smiling face. As long as he 
8 



124 



SCENES ABROAD. 



lived, he was the guiding star of a whole brave nation ; and when he died, the. 
little children cried in the streets.' This beautiful monument stands in the 




MAUSOLEUM OF WILLIAM THE SILENT. 



old church of Deft. It may be described as a sort of small temple in black 
and white marble, loaded with ornaments, and sustained by columns, between 
which are four statues representing Libert}^, Prudence, Justice, and Religion. 



TEUTONIC EUROPE. 



125 



" This old church in Deft is almost a sacred spot for the Hollanders. 
There is buried their great admiral, Van Tromp. After one of his victories 
over the English he sailed up and down the English Channel, with a broom 
at his mast-head, as much as to say that he could sweep the English off the 
sea if he wished. 



i 




DORDRECHT. 

" But we must hurry on. I will only call your attention to one more 
Dutch town, and here is a view of Dordrecht, or Dort, about ten miles from 

Rotterdam. It gives us a good idea of a Holland city, with a canal right 
through the heart of the city. 

Now I want to talk a while about the Zuyder Zee and the cities along 

the shore. Burt, you point out the Zuyder Zee so that all can see it. You 



126 SCENES ABROAD. 

can all see what a large part of Holland it covers. It was not in existence 
before the thirteenth century. But during that century the sea gradually 
overflowed the land. When Holland was at the height of her prosperity, 
there were numerous cities all along the shores which were extremely pros- 
perous. There is Hoorn, once a most prosperous city; it was a ship sailing 
from that city that discovered and named Cape Horn. Of course, you all know 
w^here that is. Then there is the town of Enkhuizen, now an insignificant 
place ; yet less than two centuries ago it had a population of over forty thou- 
sand. On the opposite side there is Stavoren ; now it is an insignificant 
village with perhaps five hundred inhabitants, w^ith crumbling houses. Yet 
there was a time once when this city was one of the leaders in the Hanseatic 
League we talked about the other night, and was so powerful that she forced 
treaties from Sweden and Scotland giving her sailors extra privileges." 

"What is the matter with all those places," asked Burt; "when they got 
a good start, why did not they keep it?" 

" One reason is that the ZuyderZee is filling up. It is almost unnavigable. 
Where there were once fine harbors are now great sandbanks. And so w'e 
need not wonder that the Dutch government proposes to drain the Zuyder 
Zee." 

"The Avay they did that other lake by Haarlem?" asked Henr3^ 

" Yes, mainly so. They propose to build an enormous d3'ke from Medem- 
blik to Stavoren — right at the narrowest part you see — and pump it out. 
Then they will have to make canals to the towns along its shore. That will 
give Holland nearly a thousand square miles of fertile land. There are a few 
little islands in the Zuyder Zee that are very interesting to the traveler. Such 
is the Island of Marken. It is so retired from the world that few strangers 
ever go there ; still the people are happy and contented." 

"I should think they would be awful lonesome and would want to get 
away," said Henry. 

" On the contrary, they think there is no place like their little specks of 
islands, elevated only a few^ feet above the general level of the sea. There is 
a chain of small islands along the coast of Holland inhabited by a people w^e 
call Frisians. Every few 3'ears a storm sweeps over their islands caiising 
great damage, but I suppose they think they have the finest country in the 
world. By the way, these Frisians are a most interesting people to the scholar. 
I might say their language is now the purest representative of Old Saxon ; and 



TEUTONIC RUROPE. 



127 



the Saxous who iuvadcd England, when the Romans left, were near relatives 
to the Frisians. 

' Now I will show you just one more scene in Holland. These numerous 
canals that we have talked about are generally frozen over in winter, and as 




FISHING IN HOLLAND. 



a consequence the Dutch are noted for their skating; and then they may be 
seen cutting small holes in the ice and fishing. In short, Holland is one of 
the most interesting countries of Europe. 

" Right to the south of Holland is the King-dom of Beldum. Traveling 



128 SCENES ABROAD. 

in the convenient fashion that we are, we will just suppose ourselves set down 
at Brussels. Find it on the map, Burt; and, Henry, what does the name make 
you think of?" 

"Why, I don't know — is it Brussels carpet, uncle?" 

"That is it. Brussels is celebrated, among other things, for its carpets. 
Now Belgium, as you know, is a very small kingdom ; in its present form it 
is very recent, only some sixty 3'ears old. In ancient history it is often spoken 
of as Flanders, and its history is all mixed up with Holland. But its capital, 
Brussels, is one of the pleasantest cities in all Europe. It is noted for its 
fine public buildings. I have here a plate giving us an idea of some of the 
principal ones. The one at the top is the Palace of Justice; it is a most 
magnificent building. Then we have a view of one of the churches in the 
center, and at the bottom is the Exchange." 

"And what are those two statues?" asked Burt. 

"They are for two Counts, Egmont and Horn, put to death in 1568 by 
Duke Alva. If you want your blood to boil, you read of the terrible doings 
of the Spaniards under Duke Alva in the Netherlands — that is to sa}', in what 
is now Holland and Belgium." 

"I wish, uncle, you would tell us just a little about this Duke Alva, for 
I have heard of him before," said Burt. 

" I scarcely have time to tell you very much about him," replied Uncle 
George, " but perhaps I can give you an outline. You know, probably, that 
Holland and Belgium are often called the Netherlands. In the sixteenth cen- 
tury these formed a part of the territory of Spain. Philip II. of Spain was 
a most bigoted ruler, and he was determined to crush out all liberty of con- 
science in the Netherlands. Foe this purpose he sent Duke Alva there. He 
was a very able military general, but was extremely cruel and blood-thirsty. 
Great was the alarm in the Netherlands when he made his appearance at the 
head of a formidable Spanish army. No great resistance could be offered to 
him, though William the Silent that we were talking about a moment ago, 
almost single-handed, withstood him. His council, which from its severity 
was called the "Council of Blood," was a terrible thing. I have seen it esti- 
mated that in the six years he was in the Netherlands he caused eighteen 
thousand people to be put to death! That seems almost incredible, don't it? 
But the least suspicion, especiall}' if the suspected person were rich, was suffi- 
cient to condemn him to death. The two Counts that Burt asked about Avere 




BRUSSELS. 



129 



TEUTONIC europp:. 



^^r 



among the first to fall. Tlic}' had done nothing worthy of death, bnt were 
greatly liked by the people. But I think we had better find something 
pleasanter to talk about." 

" Haven't you a picture of this duke, uncle, so that we can see what he 
looks like?" inquired Nettie. 




DUKE OF ALVA AT BRUSSELS. 



"I have no picture in this collection, but — let me think — ah yes, in this 
book " (taking one from the library) " is a view of him w^hen he had just 
arrived in Brussels, deposing the Duchess of Parma, who was then regent. 
Notice his cold, haughty looks. But now, leaving the past, do any of you 



132 



SCENES ABROAD. 



remember any event of great interest in modern history that happened near 
Brnssels?" 

No one could recall it until Uncle George mentioned tliat it was a 
battle in which Napoleon was engaged ; and then they all, with the possible 
exception of Henry, thought of Waterloo. 

"The Field of Waterloo," said Uncle George, "is only about twelve 
miles from Brussels, and is one of the sights of the place. The mound you 




THE FIELD OF WATERLOO. 

see is about two hundred feet high; on its top is a bronze figure of a lion, 
the emblem of Belgium. As you all know, this was the final battle of Napo- 
leon's life; here he was finally overthrown. When I was there," continued 
Uncle George after a brief pause, "some scattered lines of vScott's poem kept 
running through my mind. I will try and recall them for you. They are 
taken from .several different verses, but I thiuk the^^ go well together, 
and they express a sad truth : 




134 



VIEWS IN BERLIN, " UNTER DEN LINDEN. 



TEUTONIC EUROPE. 135 

Look forth, once more, with softened heart, 
Ere from the field of fame we part. 
Thou canst not name one tender tie 
But here dissolved its relics lie ! 
Still, in story and in song 
For many an age remembered long, 
Shall live the towers of Hougoumont 
And fields of Waterloo." 

" Uncle, what does the country look like?" broke in Henry. 

"Well, of course, the scenery changes considerably; but as you enter 
Germany from France you will notice the grain fields stretching awa}- on both 
sides ; then plains with herds of cattle and flocks of -sheep tended by shep- 
herds; little villages with clusters of dark and cheerless houses built of stone 
and mortar, with homely red-tile roofs; wide white roads, level as marble 
floors, some of them sheltered on each side by rows of poplar trees. Now 
and then you see the ruins of some old castle on a distant hill top; but what 
you will also see is the women of the poorer class, bronze-featured, scantily 
dressed, toiling in the field like so many cattle. Nowhere will you see fences. 
What we have been considering form the smaller kingdoms of Teutonic 
Europe. We will now turn our attention to Germany proper, and the 
easiest way of getting at this part of our work is to consider ourselves in 
Berlin, and then we can make trips to other parts of this great empire. 
When you are in Berlin, you must remember you are in the capital of prob- 
ably the strongest single power in Europe ; and yet the present German 
Empire is a ver\- modern affair. 

"In this plate we have a collection of views of the finest street in Berlin; 
it is known all over as 'Unter den Linden ' (Under the Lindens). In the first 
picture, in the corner, you see the general plan of the street. It is about 
two hundred feet wide. There is a magnificent walk in the center of the 
street, bordered by chestnut, linden, and other trees. It is about a mile Ions;, 
running east and west, and lined with some of the finest buildings in Europe. 
In the lowest cut you see the beautiful gate at the western end surmounted 
by a triumphal car. That is the Brandenberg Gate. Napoleon carried it to 
Paris with him, but the Prussians brought it back after the battle of Waterloo." 

"Probably the French thought they were going to get it back in the 
last w^ar," said Burt. 



136 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" Perhaps they did, but the gate was not in much danger. But through 
that gate came the victorious German army after the war, with bluiF old King 
William riding at its head, with Bismarck, Von Moltke, and his generals at his 
side. You can imagine the scene along that famous street on that memorable 
day. At the eastern end of the Linden we come to a fine equestrian statue 




FREDERICK THE GREAT'S STATUE 

of Frederick the Great (we will talk more about him by and by), and here 
we have a picture of it. The pedestal proper is twenty-five feet high ; then 
comes all those figures you see on horseback — they are life size. In the panel 
above are represented different stages in the life of Frederick ; then corner 
the figure of Frederick on his horse. It is very natural. 



TKUTONIC ETROPK. 



137 



"After passing this statue we come to a square known as the 'Opera 
Place.' It contains one or two palaces, the Ro3-al Library, and tlic 
university for which Berlin is deservedly famous; more than three thousand 
students attend lectures at the universit3\ 

"Passing that square we come to the very center of the city. The River 
Spree goes winding through the city, and we cross one of its arms by a very 




THE SCHLOSS BRIDGE. 

fine bridge called the Schloss Brucke— that is, the Castle Bridge, and find 
ourselves in what is known as the Lustgarten, 

"What is that big building with a dome on it?" asked Burt. 

"That is the cathedral in which a great many ancestors of the royal 
family are buried." 

"And what is that building with such a number of pillars in front 
of it?" asked Nettie. 

"That is the Old Museum, one of the most imposing buildings in 
Berlin, and the ground in front of it is beautifully laid out." 

"And there is the statue of that king on horseback?" said Henry. 



138 



SCKNKS ABROAD. 



"No; that is the statue of another king, Frederick William III. The 
two great kings of Prussia, by the way, are Frederick the Great and 
William I. The one made Prussia a formidable power; it was the good 
fortune of the other to be King of Prussia when German Unity was brought 




FREDERICK THE GREAT. 



about, and so he was the first Emperor of United Germany. I have here a 
picture of this famous Frederick ; and if you want to read something that 
will interest and excite 3'ou, I advise 3^ou to read some good account of his 



TEUTONIC KUROI'K, 



^39 



life. Almost single-handed he fought against France, Austria, and Russia, 
who were determined to divide Prussia among themselves. Rut after seven 
years of fighting they gave it up as a bad job. 

"Emperor William was fortunate in his reign. He personally did not 
do as much as Frederick, but he called around him some of the greatest men 
of modern times; such as Von Moltke, the great general, and Bismarck, the 
statesman. It was these men, quite as much as his own ability, that made 




POTSDAM. 

"him Emperor of United .Germany. He was crowned Emperor in Paris, near 
the conclusion of the last war with France. 

Henry probably expressed the thoughts of all when he exclaimed, as 
Uncle George concluded, " I'll bet he felt good then." But, as Uncle George 
said, he had a right to feel "good." 

"Potsdam is only sixteen miles from Berlin. It is beautifully situated 
on an island. Here we have a view of the town. It is noted for its beautiful 
palace, one of the finest in Europe, built by Frederick at the close of the 
■Seven Years' War to show Europe that he had plenty of money left. In the 



140 SCENES ABROAD. 

church vault lies the body of this great warrior, iu a plaiu metal coffin, by 
the side of his eccentric father that I haven't time to tell you about now. 
When Napoleon was in Berlin, after his great victory over Prussia, he paid a 
visit to this vault. Bowing his knees, he said, ' Hadst thou been alive I 
should never have been here.' But he carried away with him the sword of 
Frederick which lay on the coffin. It was never known what became of it, 
though you may be sure the Prussians searched for it after the battle of 
Waterloo." 

" I wonder what made him do it," said Nettie. "I suppose, though, he 
thought it would be an interesting relic," she added. 

" Now, tell us about the palace you spoke of," said Henry. 

"Perhaps I ought to have said palaces," said Uncle George, "for there 
are some five royal residences in and around Potsdam. There is the Old 
Palace where Frederick the Great lived most of his time when not engaged 
in war. It contains the furniture which he used, all scratched by the claws 
of his dogs, for he w^as very fond of dogs ; and there is his writing table 
covered with ink, the room where he used to dine, etc. Not ver}" far from 
there is the Palace of Sans Souci, and in this plate we have a collection of 
views of this palace and the grounds. You can imagine how beautiful it 
must be. In the palace is the room in which the great Frederick died ; it 
contains the clock which he used to wind with his own hand, and which we 
are assured stopped just at the moment he died." 

" Do you believe it did, uncle?" asked Willie, in rather a skeptical tone. 

"Well, I wont vouch for that, Willie. In sight-seeing, as in some other 
things, there are many statements 3'ou must take on faith; if 3'ou go to 
inquiring and doubting, you will spoil many a little romance There is the 
clock, at any rate, stopped at twenty minutes past two. 

"By the wa}', right to one side of the grounds' of this palace stands a 
famous windmill. Frederick tried to buy it, as he wanted to pull it down, so 
as to extend his grounds. The miller refused to sell ; whereupon the King 
went to law about it, but the courts decided against him. But here again 
the suspicious traveler cannot help wondering whether the court did not 
have a private intimation from the King how to decide, since Frederick 
erected for the miller a larger mill as a monument of Prussian justice. The 
whole thing looks suspiciously like a well-worked 'ad.,' as we would say in 
this country." 




o 

p 
o 
tn 

% 

< 

T. 
t- 

o 

w 
o 



TKU TONIC KUKOl'E. 



143 



"Then you don't believe it, uncle?" said Burt. 

"Oil, 3'cs, I believe the facts just as they are stated ; but in those days 
courts would have been a little careful how they decided against the 'divine 
rights of kings.' However, there is a good story about Frederick. He 
was riding in the royal coach and observed a crowd trying to read a placard 




LUTHER AND MELANCHTHON. 

posted on the wall. He found it to be a cartoon on himself. Frederick did 
not get mad and order a lot of people arrested ; on the contrar}^, he coolly 
ordered the placard to be put a little lower down so the people could 
see it better. But we must go back to Berlin and start on our travels 
again. There is one place about sixty miles, a little to the southwest of 
Berlin, that it will pay us to stop at. That is Wittenberg. It is the 
place where Martin Luther started in his work. Of course, it is not necessary 
to tell 5^ou who Luther was. " 

"Was he born at Wittenberg?" asked Nettie. 



144 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" No, lie was born at Eislebeii, but was professor at Wittenberg. This 
part of Prussia (pointing to Saxony on the map) was the home of the Reforma- 
tion. The German Empire, as you know, is an immense great one, and so 
we will devote a little time to Southern Germany. Bavaria is perhaps the 
most important of the Southern German States. Although it is part of the 
German Empire, it is still an organized kingdom of itself, and has some 




MUNICH. 



especial privileges. Its capital is JVIunich, and there we will suppose our- 
selves to have arrived, and here is our first view of Munich; and Munich, we 
might remark, is one of the niost interesting cities in Europe. It is rich in 
art treasures, palaces, and public buildings." 

"Is that a bridge?" asked Burt. 

"Yes, that is a bridge over the Iser. Do you know of any poem about 
the River Iser?" , 



TEUTONIC EUROPE. 



145 



As usual, it was Nettie who responded by reciting: 

" On Linden when the sun was low 

All bloodless lay the untrodden s-now, 
And dark as winter was the flow 
Of Iser, rolling rapidly." 

"That is it, and I can say that one of the most interesting sights in 
Munich is to stand on one of these old bridges and watch the boiling, foaming 
w^aters as they go rushing by underneath. Hohenlinden, where the battle 
was fought, to which this poem refers, is about twenty miles east of Munich. 




THE MARIENPLATZ. 



"This place is not so very old, that is, as age counts in Europe, since it only 
dates back some seven or eight centuries. But Munich has been entirely made 
over, so to speak, within the present century. Here is a view of one of the 
squares in Munich. It is named from the pillar with a statue on top that 
you see in the corner, the ' Marienplatz.' The pillar is of red marble with 
a bronze statue of the Virgin surmounting it. It commemorates a victory 



146 SCENES ABROAD. 

gained over two hundred and fifty years ago. The fountain that you see is 
the scene of one of those curious senseless customs that you are continually 
meeting in Europe. Every young butcher apprentice, when he takes his 
freedom — that is to say, when he becomes a full-fledged butcher — has to go 
and jump into the fountain." 

"I wouldn't do that," said Henry. 

" I guess you would if you were in IVIunich, Henry. As usual, there is 
a story about it. Once on a time, some two or three centuries ago, there 
was a great plague in Munich. When it died away it was difficult to convince 
the people that the city was a safe place to live in, so the butchers of the 
city marched in procession to the fountain, and one after another plunged in. 
When it was seen that no evil effects followed from their bath, why the 
people in general concluded that it was once more safe to live in Munich. 
Thus the custom started, and in Europe customs are followed with great 
fidelity. 

"Now I could spend the rest of the evening, if necessarj-, in talking-' 
about Municli, but we cannot give it so much space. There are palaces, 
museums, and picture galleries almost without number. To give you an 
idea of how money has been spent by the kings of Bavaria, I will say that in 
one palace is a bed — in which Napoleon once slept, by the wa}' — the drapery 
and coverlid of which are so richly wrought with gold embroidery that they 
are said to have cost nearly three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 

*' Of one institution I will speak, although I have no picture to illustrate 
it — that is the cemetery. Attached to the cemetery is a building in which the 
bodies are placed for an indefinite time before burial. Signaling apparatuses 
are connected with them in such a way that, should there be any life left in 
the body, the slightest motion will ring a bell and summon an attendant. 
You can look in through the window. Here is an account of the impressions 
produced on one writer speaking of the little children he saw therein." 

This time also Willie read: " There must have been fifteen or twenty 
of them. They were lying outside of their caskets on soft little cushions or 
blankets of rich material, and in their dainty white muslin or silk dresses, 
trimmed with handsome embroidered edgings and laces, looked as if they 
had been to a children's dress party, and, overcome with fatigue, had fallen 
asleep. Several were in reclining positions, propped up with cushions, with 
wreaths of handsome artificial or real flowers placed on their heads, and little 



TEUTONIC lajkoi'i'; 



M7 



bouquets in their hands. Two or three were so covered with floral decora- 
tions they looked as if they were sleeping in beds of flowers. Such a pictiire 
seemed to rob death of its terrors." 

" We will stop at one more city of Bavaria; that is Nuremberg. Here is 
a view of the walls, for Nuremberg has much to remind us of the past. Our 
own poet, Longfellow, has a poem on Nuremberg that expresses the facts: 




NUREMBERG — CITY WALLS. 

Quaint old town of toil and traffic, quaint old town of art and song, 
Memories haunt thy pointed gables, like the rooks that round them throng; 
Memories of the Middle Ages, when the emperors, rough and bold 
Had their dwelling in thy castle, time defying, centuries old. 

'* The walls of Nuremberg are about three miles and a half in circum- 
ference, and so the city presents the appearance of a place in the ]\Iiddle 
Ages. The moat still exists, one hundred feet wide, crossed b}^ draw-bridges, 
and could still be flooded with water; but now the bottom of the moat is 
covered with market gardens. On the wall a large number of the nearly four 
hundred tow-ers that once guarded it, still remain. It has walls like Chester, 
in England, 3^011 notice." 

"Were the Romans ever there, uncle?" inquired Henr3\ 
"No; the Roman Empire included verj- little of what is now Teutonic 
Europe. It was the various Germanic people which finally overthrew the 
Roman Empire; but for many centuries after the fall of that empire, cities 
were surrounded with walls. 



148 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" You notice on the map a little river running ; it is called the Pegnitz, as it 
cuts the town completely in two. Of course, there are bridges crossing it. In 
this view we have such a bridge, and you must notice the hotises rising right 
up out of the water." 

"Is Nuremberg a large place, uncle?" asked Burt. 




BRIDGE AT NUREMBERG. 



" It is the second city in Bavaria, and has a population of nearly one hun- 
dred and fifty thousand. It is very interesting to the historian. The castle of 
the old city was for a long time a favorite place of residence with the German 
emperors. Frederick Barbarossa once lived there. When you read history 
you will learn what a celebrated person he was. Popular superstition thinks 
that Barbarossa is not dead, but sleeping the time away in a cave, and when 
the right time comes he will make his appearance." 



TKUTONIC Kl'KOI'K. 



149 



"How finmy. Do they really believe it, uncle?" asked Henry. 
"I guess not," said Uncle George with a smile, "but nearh' every 
countr}' has some legend of a sleeping person, like our Rip Van Winkle I 




CHVRCH OF ST. LAWRENCE. 

saw you reading the other da}-. Nuremberg has a wonderful fountain, and 
is noted for its beautiful churches. Here I have a view of one of them. 
As Longfellow sa3^s : 

Everywhere I see around me rise the wondrous world of art, 
Fountains wrought with richest sculpture standing in the common mart; 
And above cathedral doorwa3-s saints and bishops carved in stone 
By a former age commissioned as apostles to our own. 

"The Church of St. Lawrence, shown in the cut, is regarded as one of 
the most beautiful in Europe. The carvings around the altar are ver}- 



I50 



SCENES ABROAD. 



beautiful, in reference to which Longfellow still continues in his exquisite 

verse : 

111 the church of sainted Lawrence stands a pyx of sculpture rare, 

Like the foamy sheaf of fountains rising through the painted air." 

"Is there any story about that fountain?" asked Henry, keeping in mind 
the fountain at Munich, but Uncle George told him he did not know of any. 



■f('/ri)'',;ij;'ii.,ii:K'^;^ 



■i^;v^•;:::!ll:V!1^^!?;;all/(ll!(Wll';'),xfj''ll!!l'lllMfl!Wll!'lllljSml;llilp 




THE BURGOMASTER. 

"NoW, before leaving Germany, we will talk a little about some pecul- 
iarities of German life. I will show you this cut of a Bavarian Burgomaster. 
That is the village official. In Germany we quickly discover that the govern- 
ment has the controlling interest in about everything that is going on. The 
government educates, drills, and marches the people ; looks after their reli- 



TEUTONIC PUIROPK. 



151 



gion, and must be consulted with in the question of marriage. It runs the 
railroads and telegraph lines, and owns most of the forest land. But, in 
return for all this fostering care, it unmercifully taxes the people. Take the 
little Kingdom of Wurtemberg, smaller, as far as size is concerned, than 
the State of Massachusetts, yet it costs over twelve million dollars annually 
to run the government. They pay the king, for instance, over four hundred 
thousand dollars. Some day Europe will make up its mind that it can get 
along without its royal families." 

"What will happen then?" asked Burt. 





SWABIANS. 



"The change will almost certainly be accompanied by a terrible storm. 
At present emigration affords some relief to the almost overburdened 
people. I read, only in this morning's paper, that from one German port 
over five thousand emigrants sailed for this countr3^ You must know that 
in a country where the kings build palaces without number, and indulge in the 
luxury of bed-clothes costing three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, that 
nihilism and socialism are bound to increase. The government may succeed 
in smothering or smoothing it over for the time being, but the explosion 
must come some time. 

" Here is a common-place picture of people living in that part of Germany 
called Swabia ; that is in the southwestern part of Germany around Stuttgart. 



152 SCENES ABROAD. 

In that part of Germany we come upon the Black Forest, where we find so 
many stories and legends." 

"Uncle, what about the Blac^ Forest? I have heard of it somewhere 
before," said Burt. 

*' That Black Forest is a remnant of the great forest that once covered 
all of Central Europe. The Romans called it the Hercj^nian Forest. They 
had little relish for exploring it. Caesar, in his Commentaries, mentions it as 
being inhabited with all sorts of fierce and savage tribes. During the Middle 
Ages this was inhabited by half civilized tribes, and long continued to be the 
home of bands of robbers. And at the present da}^, as I have said, the people 
are very backward, and consequently superstitious, and believe the many 
stories they hear of fairies and goblins." 

" Tell us a story, uncle," exclaimed Henry. 

After a short pause Uncle George said : "I will only relate a short 
one ; it will give you an idea of what they are like. You must know that the 
Black Forest people believe in the existence of a very mischievous elf called 
Poppele, who delights in playing all manner of practical though good-natured 
jokes. He treats all alike, whether they are saint or sinner. Once upon a 
time an abbess, celebrated for her piety, was riding in a coach from one 
convent to another, when, all of a sudden, the carriage stuck fast. In vain 
the coachman tried whipping and coaxing to have the horses go ahead. The}^ 
could not budge the carriage. At length the coachman, getting impatient, 
went to the carriage door. 

" 'Madam,' he cried, 'what is to be done? Will you get out?' 

" ' Impossible,' cried the holy abbess. 

'"Then, madam, will you permit me to swear a few oaths? That may do 
some good.' 

" But the good abbess could not hear of that ; she shuddered at the very 
thought ; but after a weary waiting she thought differently about it, and called 
out of the window to the coachman, 'If you must swear, proceed; we must 
get agoing somehow.' And, it is added, she herself set the example. At 
this explosion from the pious abbess there was heard a shriek of laughter, 
and Poppele let go the wheel he had been holding all the while, and the car- 
riage proceeded merrily on its way. 

"So much for that particular story," concluded Uncle George, "and it is 
wonderful how many stories of this character you hear; and we are not 



TEUTONIC KI:R01'K. 



153 



surprised to know they believe iu witchcraft, and many such absurd things 
the rest of the world have forgotten." 

We are not sure but the club would have preferred some more stories, 
but Uucle Goorge said this would give them a sample of the numerous 




ROMANS WARRING WITH THE GERMANS. 



stories to be heard in Swabia, and he wanted to tell them a little early German 
history. " I said but a moment ago," he resumed, "that the Roman Empire 
included in its bounds but a small part of what is Teutonic Europe. Rome 
attained her zenith of prosperity at the commencement of the Christian era. 
A famous battle was fought by the Roman General Varus somewhere in the 
section of Germany we are now talking about, and the Romans were com- 
pletely defeated. This picture is from a painting supposed to represent that 



154 



SCENES ABROAD. 



battle. After that the Germans were never afraid of Roman conquest; in 
'fact, they were soon the aggressors. 

"The primitive Germans who defeated the Romans were a sturdy race 
of people. They were distinguished by their lofty stature, their robust 
limbs, their fair complexion, and flowing hair. They have never yet had 
justice done to them in the pages of history. All our early notices of them 
come from the description of their enemies — the Romans. We are only just 




PRIMITIVE WORSHIP AMONG THE GERMANS. 

now learning how much our civilization owes to them. Of course, at that 
early time they were pagans, and had their Druid priesthood that you know 
I spoke about the first night." 

"Talking about Wales," broke in Burt. 

"Yes, exactly. Well, here is a cut which represents worship among them. 
They met in the forests. Remember what I said about their long hair and 
fair complexion." 

"What are those things those men have on their heads?" inquired 
Willie. 

" Like all partially civilized people their chiefs liked to wear head-dress, 




ALPHONSE ])K NEUVILLE. 

GERMAN WOMEN DEFENDING THEIR WAGON CASTLES AGAINST 
15" • THE ROMANS. 



tp:utoxic kuroi'K 



157 



siguificaiit of their name or rank. It was these people who finally com- 
menced their inroads on Rome. Onr large picture represents the women 
defending their rude Wagon Castles against a band of Roman soldiers. 

" Well, the Romans passed away, the German people became Christian- 
ized, and finally we come to what is known as the Age of Feudalism and 
Chivalry in Europe. Now, this was an important period in European his- 
tory, and, of course, of the earl}^ history of the present great German States 




FEUDAL CASTLE AT ROUEN. 

of Europe. Owing to many causes, the chiefs grew into powerful lords and 
built themselves great castles, such as the one shown in this cut. 

''You see it is surrounded by a stream of w^ater called a moat; a 
draw-bridge led across the moat. Before the invention of fire-arms such a 
castle as this was a secure place of retreat. This picture properly represents 
the Feudal Age, and I might remark that you find many remains along the 
Rhine of Feudal times." 

"You know j'-ou told me once to look up about Feudal times," exclaimed 
Burt. " I found out a good deal about it, but 3'ou just now spoke about 
Chivalry. What was that?" 



158 



SCENES ABROAD. 



"I am afraid," replied Uncle George, "that it would be extremely diffi- 
cult to give you a fair idea of Chivalry without taking up too much time. 
You had better look that up, too ; but I will tell you of some of their customs. 
I have here a view of a knight attended by his squires. . Knighthood, I might 
remark, was the great institution of Chivalry. We, at the present day, see a 
great deal in their ideas to laugh about, but it seemed earnest enough to them.'* 



,'. ,v 




KNIGHTHOOD. 

Here Uncle George handed a book to Ida, who read the following extract 
about life in the Middle Ages : " Strange and picturesque sights were to be 
seen. The young knight, full of ambition to make himself a name, rode 
along accompanied b}^ his squire anxious to find some adventure to distin- 
guish himself, or to meet with another like-minded knight with whom to 
cross his lance. The feudal lord, with his armed retainers, was to be seen 
riding forth from his castle, and hunting parties scoured the woods. The 
gentleman would ride by in silks and velvets, in plumed hat and enameled 
belt, attended by his servants. The minstrel, in gay coat, sang snatches of 
lays as he wandered along, from hall to castle. The more stately group of 



TEUTONIC EUROPE. 



i6i 




kniglits and squires hurr3niig along were on their wa}- to attend some 
tournament." 

"Uncle, wont you tell 
us something about the tour- 
naments? I have read about 
them, but what were they? " 
broke in Nettie. 

" To u r n a m e n t s were 
great institutions in the daj's 
of Chivalr3\ Tliej- were the 
military games of the age ; 
they Avere courteous battles 
between two parties of armed 
knights. In German}^ the 

A TOURNAMENT. 

country was divided off into districts, in 
which tournaments were held by rotation. 
They were in those days what races are 
in our day. All Europe, and especiall}^ 
German}^, delighted in these contests. 
In these views j^ou see the knight all 
armed entering the lists, as it was called, 
attended by his servants, called scjuires 
and pages. And you also see the contest 
going on. The combat was conducted 
under very strict rules." 

"Are they fighting in real earnest?',' 
asked Henr3^ 

"Yes, the}' are earnest enough. 
However, the weapons were so arranged 
that not much danger was to be feared 
from that source ; but, of course, the sport 
was dangerous. You see I have here a large view of a tournament. Of 
course, knighthood has passed away; but }'ou all know we have man3^ bodies 
of knights of different names still existing. They keep alive a dim memory 
of that earlier time." 




ENTRANCE TO THE TOURNAMENT. 



l62 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" I read about knights and squires in ' Sancho Panza,' " said Burt, with a 
laugh, as he recalled the funny incidents of that book. 

" Yes, and, by the way, that book raised such a laugh that it about put an 
end to Chivalry. I see I have here a picture of one of the most famous 




BARBAROSSA ASKING AID OF KING HENRY. 

emperors of ancient Germany, Barbarossa. I spoke of him just a moment 
ago. He was one of the crusaders, and this represents him asking the aid of 
the king of England for one of his crusades. He is quite a popular hero, 
and, as I said, there is a story told about him that he is sleeping his life 
away in a cave surrounded by his valiant knights, and some day he is to 
awaken to new life and lead his people on to new victories. I have been 



TEUTONIC KUROPp;. 



i6 



talking about old Ccniiany. I sec 1 have here a view of one the most cele- 
brated cathedrals in luvrope. It belongs to both old and new Germany; for, 
though begun some six centuries ago, it is not yet fully completed. The 
Germany of to-day is perhaps the strongest power in Europe. She has been 
victorious in all her recent wars, and is now a united country." 




COLOGNE CATHEDRAL. 

But at this point Aunt Mary entered the room, and her entrance meant 
that it was already getting late, and so Uncle George closed up the books. 
There was the usual amount of informal talk. Probably all the club were 
glad to hear the announcement that the next trip would be to France. 



164 



SCENES ABROAD. 



CHAPTER V. 




France and Spain. 

THE fourth meeting of tlie club fell on Washington's 
' birthday, and as Uncle George was going to talk to them 
■^T* about France, it occurred to him that it would not be a 
bad plan to introduce the evening's work by making 
some general remarks on the peculiar relation between this country 
and France at that critical time in our history. And it is not at all 
strange that one or two of the older children had also thought of the same 
thing. At school they had public exercises ; and orations and essays, having 
for their subject-matter Washington and the Revolution, had been the order 
of the day. 

So when the club gathered in the library, it is not surprising that 
Nettie's first remark was: "Uncle, I want to ask you a few questions about 
this country and France at the time of the Revolution. What made France 
help us?" 

And in reply Uncle George told them about the troubled condition of 
affairs in Europe at that time. He recalled to their mind how much trouble 
France had had with England for almost a century previous to our Revolu- 
tion. And so it was not strange that France looked favorably upon the 
colonies from the start. " It is rather of a surprise to the average American," 
continued he, "to find what a strong hold France had in what is now the 
Mississippi Valley long before the English had made any settlements there. 
They had explored our great lakes, and sailed up and down the Mississippi, 
the Illinois, and Ohio rivers, and had established a chain of forts all through 
the interior. You know it was in an attempt to capture old Fort Du Quesne, 
where Pittsburgh now stands, that first brought Washington to public notice. 
Had his advance been followed, Braddock would probably not have sustained 
his terrible defeat. But we must return to our regular work for the evening. 
"The Revolutionary times have long since passed away, and our country 
is now rich and prosperous. France has passed through some ups and 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 



165 







downs since then, but is still a most interesting country to visit. The 
American traveler ought never to forget how greatly that country helped us 
in our time of trouble. You all know who the Marquis de La Fayette was. 
I have here a fine view of that gallant young Frenchman." 

" He came over here and helped us, didn't he?" said Henry. 

" Yes, indeed, and most 
splendid assistance it was 
too. Just think of this 
wealthy and titled young 
Frenchman leaving wife, 
home, and native land to 
help us, before he was 
twenty years of age. His 
arrival in this country pro- 
duced a great sensation. 
Nearly fifty years after- 
wards, when he was an old 
man, he visited our country, 
at the earnest invitation of 
Congress, and his tour re- 
sembled a triumphant pro- 
cession from cit}' to city. 
Our government sent a 
ship to bring him over, and 
named it the Brandywine, 
in memory of an important 
battle he fought near Phila- 
delphia. And only recently, when we had our Yorktown Centennial, one of 
the guests of our country that Congress especially invited was a young lieu- 
tenant in the French army, a relative of the gallant La Fa3'ette." 

"What made him want to come and help us?" asked Willie. "Was it 
just for a good time?" 

No, the Avhole life of the man shows that his influence was alwaj^s on 
the side of the weak and oppressed. No man would have held the love and 
confidence of Washington, as he did, who was not a good man. Our repre- 
sentative at Paris, Benjamin Franklin, impressed him greatly. Franklin, 




LA FAYETTE. 



i66 



SCENES ABROAD. 



whose picture I have here, was greatly liked in France, and contributed in 
no small degree in inducing that country to help us in our Revolution." 

"One question more, if you please, uncle," said Burt. "Why is it that 
the United States appear to have forgotten this, and in the last war we almost 
all sided with Germany?" 




BENJAMIN FRANKI^IN. 

"Well, Burt, France has largely herself to blame for that. She seemed 
to think that she held a mortgage on us afterwards. Even in Washington's 
life-time we came near being drawn into a war with France. But in her last 
war with Germany, France was so clearly to blkme that we could not support 
her claim. Paris," continued Uncle George, opening a book, " is probably the 
gayest capital of modern times. It is not the largest, but it is a very inter- 




< 



00 



FRANCE AND vSPAIN. 



169 



esting place to visit. I have here a general view of the city, showing seven 
of the bridges over the River Seine. 

" The river is onl}^ a few hundred feet wide, though there is quite a 
volume of water ilowiug through it, and you notice the sides are what are 
called quaycd. There are some twenty-seven bridges crossing it. Paris, you 
know, is a great big place, having about two million inhabitants. You can 




PARIS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



not begin to understand Paris until you have spent some time in studying it. 
I hardly know where to begin in describing it. Perhaps, by way of a little 
historical sketch, I might as well show 3^ou this cut of Paris in the seventeenth 
century. You must notice the walls and the island in the river. On that 
island was made the first settlement in the vicinity of Paris." 

" I think I read somewhere that there was a city there before Roman 
times," said Burt. 



1 7© 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" Yes, and the name Paris shows how geographical places keep alive the 
names of long-lost people. The settlement of the Parisii tribe was on that 
island. But from the fourth century down Paris has been one of the noted 
places of Europe. The city walls have been leveled, and in their stead are 
the beautiful boulevards comprising the very finest streets in the world. But 
we must now examine some of the principal sights of Paris. 

" Once no less than sixty acres in the very heart of Paris, on the right 
bank of the River Seine, were occupied by a magnificent group of palaces- 
known as the Louvre and the Tuileries. The former is shown in this cut. 




VIEW OF THE LOUVRE. 



The historian," continued Mr. Adams after a brief pause, " takes a melan- 
choly interest in contemplating the scenes that the walls of this palace have 
witnessed. For more than a hundred years it was the favorite residence of 
the Bourbon kings. There beautiful Mary, Queen of Scots, lived for a while 
as the bride of Francis II. There Catherine de Medici planned the terrible 
St. Bartholomew massacre. Henry of Navarre lived there, and the great 
Richelieu laid the foundation of France's greatness. Since then that has 
become the great museum of France. There are literally miles of paintings 
and most interesting collections of antiquities. 

" The other great pile of royal buildings standing on this space were 
known as the Tuileries. They were destroyed by the mob in 1871. Here 
were enacted the principal scenes of the stormy close of Louis XVI. 's life. 




Louis XVI. Bids Adieu to his Family on the Point of Departing to the 
Place de la Concord to be Guillotined. 171 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 



173 



" I remember liow I cried when I read the life of Marie Antoinette," 
said Nettie. " I think it was just awful." 

Uncle George only smiled thoughtfully as he remarked that " mobs are 
always cruel," though they may have most substantial cause for complaint." 

" If that was such a nice palace, what made them burn it? " asked Henry. 

" That was the work of another mob, the Commune. After their ter- 
rible defeat at the hands of the Prussians, in their last war, there was so 




PLACE DE LA CONCORDE. 

much disappointment that once more the worst elements of the city got the 
upper hand ; and they committed all sorts of excesses. The beautiful Louvre 
we looked at a moment ago had a very narrow escape. One wing of the 
building was burned, and many thousand volumes of rare and costly works 
were destroyed before the government troops arrived on the scene. 

" We have in this view a picture of one of the grandest public places to 
be found in any city of Europe, the Place de la Concorde. The views in all 
directions from the center of this square are charming. Speaking of it at 



174 SCENES ABROAD. 

night, it ma}' be compared to an immense open-air theater in the midst of an 
enormous, brilliantl}^ illuminated garden. To the one side are the magnifi- 
cent gardens of the Tuileries, and in other directions open out most charming 
streets. At the four corners of the square are eight pedestals, bearing alle- 
gorical figures representing eight of the principal cities of France. And, by 
the wa}^, in July you may witness a really touching sight. You know that as 
a result of the Prussian war Strasburg became a German cit}-. Its statue 
is one of the eight. On the day of the July fete the statue of that city is 
literally loaded with wreaths in sorrow for its loss. Doubtless all France 
hopes — but with hopes ever growing fainter — to one day put on that statue 
garlands emblematic of joy at its return to France." 

"Uncle, what about that great, tall pillar?" asked Burt. 

"That is known as the Obelisk of Luxor. It was brought from Egj^pt. 
It used to stand before the Temple at Thebes, and was erected b}- a king who 
lived more than fifteen hundred years before Christ. It has seen some won- 
derful changes in the world's history, hasn't it? Just think; its native 
country, Egypt, which was then the center of civilization and culture, is now 
but a province of another empire — a people at that time unknown. The 
great Roman Empire has come and gone ; Europe has passed from barbarism 
to the heiglit of civilization; a new world has been discovered; and thus we 
<:ould go on, and not begin to exhaust the list of wonderful things that have 
happened in the course of time since that pillar was first erected at Thebes." 

"How did it ever get to Paris?" inquired Ida. 

"Napoleon had it brought to France as a memento of his conquest in 
Egypt. But we must return to our subject. 

"The name of this place, I said, was Concorde; but perhaps a better 
name would be the ' Place of Blood.' For terrible scenes hav^ been witnessed 
here. The guillotine was put up here in the Reign of Terror. Here the 
unfortunate King Louis XVI. was beheaded, and a few Aveeks later his once 
beautiful Queen Marie Antoinette. And here came the beautiful enthusiast, 
Charlotte Corday, proud of having slain the tyrant Marat. And thus the 
Reign of Terror continued until finally the leaders of it were themselves put 
to death." 

"What are they doing in the picture?" asked Henr3^ 

"Charlotte Corday, Henrj', had killed Marat, one of the tyrants that I 
may speak about soon. She, of course, was condemned to death. Her lover 



o 

> 

r 
o 

H 
H 
W 

O 

o 

;o 
d 

> 

tfl 
M 

Q 

CO 

a 

o 

w 
d 

H 
O 

w 

« 
o 

G 

i 




KRAXCK AND SPAIN. 



177 



was painting her picture when the officers came to lead her away to execu- 
tion. But now let us turn to a more attractive subject. Running in a north- 
easternly direction from the Place de la Concorde is the beautiful Avenue ot 
Champs Elysees. This avenue is a mile and a quarter in length. There are 
rows of trees and bitumen walks twelve feet wide with beautiful borders. 




FOUNTAIN IN THE CHAMPS ELYSEES. 

Eas}' spring chairs are provided for the multitude. In fine weather this is 
the favorite spot for all classes. From morning until far into the night it is 
thronged with the elegant vehicles of the rich. On every side there are 
beautiful groves ; here and there fountains surrounded with flower-beds such 
as is shown in this cut. At night, when all is lighted up by the thousand 
lamps, the scene is entrancing. But on fete days, when every building is 
II 



178 



SCENES ABROAD. 



transformed into a palace of fire, and every tree into a pyramid of lights — 
well, I will leave it to your imagination how grand it is." 

Judging from expressions of delight, imagination was doing consider- 
able — especially in Henry's case — to realize the scene. Turning the page, 
Uncle George continued : 

"We have only made a beginning on the public buildings of Paris, but 
we must hurry on. Another palace is known as the Luxembourg Palace. It 





PALACE OF THE LUXEMBOURG. 



was built by Marie de Medici, Queen of Henry IV. But she did not enjoy 
her palace very much, as you will see when you read history. During the 
French Revolution Bonaparte came here after his triumphant campaign in 
Italy, and was received by the exultant directors ; and in the circle of those 
who pressed forward to greet him was the fair Josephine Beauharnais, who 
was destined to enjoy his triumphs with him." 

"Yes, and it was just mean how he treated her, too," broke in Nettie, 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 



179 



"and it just served him right the way his fortune changed after he divorced 
her," she added, rather spitefully. 

" I guess you are about right, said Uncle George, smiling. 

*' Here is one more palace that we will glance at. That is the Palais Royal 
shown in this view. It was burned in the mob days of 187 1, but has since 




PALAIS ROYAL. 



been 'restored. It was built by the great statesman, Richelieu. In the 
days of Louis XVI., the glories of this palace and the court held there rivaled 
those of Versailles, about M'hich we will talk soon. Some years ago the 
beautiful gardens of this palace made it the center of a'.traction ; but its glory 



l8o SCENES AHROAD. 

has now departed for the Champs Elysees and the beautiful boulevards. 
This garden, too, is linked with the memory of Revolutionary days. Here 
is where the movement really started that led to the fall of the Bastile." 

" Uncle," said Burt, as Mr. Adams ceased speaking, " if it is not out of 
place, I wish you would tell us a little about the French Revolution." 




LOUIS XIV. 



"To fully answer that question would require far more time than we 
can give it. I will only give a general idea. Louis XIV., whose picture I 
have here, had a very long and, to outward appearances, a very brilliant 
reign, but then began that train of events which led to the great explosion 
toward the end of the eighteenth century. It was the first recitation of the 



F RAX CI-; AND SI'AIX. 



iSl 



lesson which the nobility of Europe seems not to have learned even yet. The 
king and the nobility of France seem to have thought that the common 
people had no rights whatever, and acted accordingly. This costly error 
was atoned for in blood in the reign of Louis XVI. It is unfortunate that, 

when a storm of this kind 



arises, much innocent suf- 
lering necessarily accom- 
panies it. 

" Now I have here two 
scenes of the French Rev- 
olution. The first is the 
storming of the Bastile. 
This was one of the first 
acts of the Revolution. It 
was the prison of Paris 
where were confined the 
State prisoners. The 
second scene is the execu- 



STORMING OF THE BASTILE. 

tion of Louis XVI. It 
took place in the beautiful 
Place de la Concorde. The 
King was calm and digni- 
fied to the last." 

" They cut ofi" his head 
the way the}' did that 
English king, Charles I.," 
said Henr}'. 

"Yes; but the revolu- 
tion in England was not 
attended by near the execution of louis x\a. 

suffering that it was in France. England executed her king under process 
of law; in France the revolution was a mob. But those stormy da3\s have 
long been past, and the Paris of to-da^' is not the Paris of the Revolution. In 





l82 



SCEXES ABROAD. 



our next view you see the principal bridge over the Seine, the Pont Neuf. 
It is over a third of a mile long and nearly a hundred feet wide. The center 
part stands on one of the islands in the Seine. The statue you see is that 
of Henry IV. This bridge has more travel than any other bridge in Paris. 
By the way, the bronze figure of the horse on which the King is seated had 
a little experience of its own. It was cast in Tuscany, sent by ship to 
France ; but the ship was wrecked off the coast of Normandy, and the horse 




THE PONT XKUF. 



lay in the bottom of the sea for a year, when it was finally fished up and 
carried to its destination." 

" But how did they ever find it?" asked Henry. 

" I never heard," replied Mr. Adams; "but as the sea is not very deep oflf 
the coast of Normandy, I presume they knew where the vessel sunk, and so 
went there and had their divers bring it up." 

" I should think it would have been all rusted and spoiled anyway," said 
Nettie. 

"Oh, as for that, it was bronze, you know; and they could easily clean 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 



183 



it up after its year's rest on the bottom of the ocean. At any rate, there it 
is, seemingly none the worse for its experience. 

"Only a few squares from the northern end of Pont Neuf we come to 
one of those beautiful little public gardens which are scattered over Paris. 
It is known as the Tour de St. Jacques. The handsome tower you see is 




TOUR DE ST. JACQUES. 

what is left of a church which once stood on this square. It is 175 feet high, 
and the view from the top is the finest in Paris. Before us flows the Seine, 
But a few squares away is the Louvre, the Garden of the Tuileries, the Place 
de la Concorde, the Champs Blysees; in fact, in all directions we can see 
objects of interest." 



1 84 



SCENES ABROAD, 



"And if we were there now, I expect we could see the exposition build- 
ings," said Willie. 

"Yes, and that famous Eiffel Tower must beat this tower," added Burt, 
in which opinion Uncle George readily concurred, though he had never seen 
the Eiffel Tower. 

"There are a number of boulevards in Paris ; but what is known as the 
Grand Boulevards are a succession of broad streets extending from the 
Bastile to the Madeline, forming a rather irregular circular line. Here we 
have a scene on one of the principal divisions — the Boulevard Montmartre. 
That gives you a good idea of a street scene in Paris. 




BOULEVARD MONTMARTRE. 



"How did you say the boulevards were made, uncle?" inquired Willie. 

"Why, the boulevards take the places of the old walls. You remember 
in the view we had of Paris in the seventeenth centur}', you saw the city 
walls. The walls of Paris, after being enlarged several times, were finally 
torn down altogether, and in their place are these boulevards, which are 
magnificent wide streets. Of late years, however, a number of boulevards 
have been laid out that had nothing to do with the old city walls." 

"I now see wh}- they extend in a kind of circle. They take the same 
direction as the old walls," added Burt. 



FRANCK AND vSPAIN. 



185 



"They seem to hv liaviiig a pretty nice time, anyway. What are they 
doing — eating?" asked Heniy, looking at the picture. 

" Yes. Part of tlic wa}- you can stop most anywhere you want to and 
partake of refreshments, sit in your easy chairs, smoke cigars, read papers, 
or, in hot weather, order ices and see the crowd go by." 

"There are trees set out along the streets, ain't there?" said Nettie. 




" Yes, and every now and then little gardens, as I have before stated. 
But we must now turn from the city itself to some of the suburbs. \ou 
have all heard more or less of Versailles; this is the one possessing the 
most interest. It lies twelve miles to the southwest of Paris. Here we have 
a general view of a portion of the palace. The palace and gardens were 
constructed by Louis XIV., and of course cost an enormous sum. This made 
it necessary to increase the taxes, and thus contributed to bringing on the 



1 8. 



SCKXKS a:. ROAD. 



Revolution. Just think of it, a tract of land sixty miles in circumference 
was purchased. The landscape was rendered perfect; hills were leveled or 
thrown up; vallej^s were made or filled as the circumstances demanded; 
water was brought from a great distance to supply the lakes and fountains." 




THE GRAND TRIANON. 

" But how about the grounds, you said they bought for sixty miles 
round?" asked Ida. 

'* Well, here are some views which will give us an idea of how they are 
laid out. Notice the labyrinth? The traveler is astonished with the beauti- 
ful avenues, the numerous fountains, and the countless groups of statuary, 
the flower gardens, lovely lawns, sylvan lakes — well, every imaginable thing 
to add to the beauty of the scene." 




LABYRINTH OP VERSAILLES. 



187 



FRAXCK AND SI' 



189 



'* And what about that other building — the ' Grand Trianon ?' " asked Burt. 

"That is a beautiful villa with its grounds, erected b}^ Louis XIV. for 
Madame Maintenon, who was married to the King in 1686. Of course that 
building is not to be compared to the palace, but it is exquisitely furnished 
and adorned, and has interesting historical associations." 




NOTRE DAME. 

"I would like to see Versailles!" exclaimed Nettie. A sentiment in 
which we are sure all the club joined. 

"Before leaving Paris we must glance at the famous Cathedral of Notre 
Dame. It stands on the island I have so often mentioned in the Seine. 
This church has a ver}" beautiful front. Notice the two large square towers, 
over 200 feet high. The view from the top is ver}- fine, one of the best in 
Paris. The interior of the church is verv beautiful. It was in this church 



190 



SCENES ABROAD. 



that Napoleon was crowned as emperor. The traveler in Paris soon dis- 
covers what a reverence there is for Napoleon. They remember the glories 
of his life-time ; they remember how Europe bowed before him when he 
commanded the army. I wish I had a view of his tomb, but I see there are 
none here. Though he died in St. Helena, his body was brought to Paris, 
and rests under the dome of the Hotel des Invalids. But here we have a 




ABDICATION OF NAPOLEON. 

copy of a celebrated painting of Napoleon. This was when he was in the 
full tide of his success. You must read his life some time." 

"How long was he emperor, uncle?" asked Willie. 

"He was crowned in 1802. He signed his abdication in 1814, and here 
is a picture of that event. There is one lesson to be learned from his life. 
It shows what can be accomplished b}- singleness of purpose and a determined 
will. In this cut w^e have represented his abdication, when he gave up his 




NAPOLEON I. AS EMPEROR. 191 



FRAXCK AND SPAIN. 



193 



powers and soon afterward retired to Elba. Of course you all kuow that 
he soou came back, aud for a brief space of time resumed his couimaud. 
Then came Waterloo and the final defeat, banishment to St. Helena and 
death. But now we have been talking a good deal about Paris. We must 
take a few trips to other parts of the countr}-. So we will go to that part of 
France called Brittany. You will find it in the northwestern part of France. 
The people living here belong to the very earliest settlers in France. They 
are closely related to the Welsh in Britain — indeed, so closely that I have 




POXT AVEN. 



heard it said that they could understand each other's language. This is a 
very queer part of France, and here we have a view of one of the towns, Pont 
Aven. The charm of Brittany is, that the people are so far behind the times 
they are almost in the Middle Ages, aud the}^ are extreme!}' superstitious. 
Here is a place where the people thoroughh" believe in watches and fairies, 
and have their charms and antidotes. The style of dress — oh, well, ever}^- 
thing is exceedingly primitive." 

** I shouldn't think that would be a ver}^ good place to go to," said Henry. 



194 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" It is a great place for artists, Henry. You see there is so much that 
is quaint, that artists from all over go there to sketch." 

"What is that other part of northern France — Normandy?" asked Burt 
in an inquiring tone. 

" Yes; I was just going to speak of Rouen, a city in Normandy. Rouen 




STATUE OF JOAN OF ARC. 

was the city were dwelt William the Conqueror before he set out on his 
invasion of England. And he, you know, is quite an important personage 
in English history. Here we have a view of a famous place or square in 
Rouen. The statue that you see is that of Joan of Arc; you have all heard 
more or less of her story." 

"But tell me about it, uncle," said Henry, "I haven't heard it." 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 



195 



"Joan of Arc, Henry, was one of those strange characters that you some- 
times read of. It all happened more than 400 years ago when there was a 
war between France and England. The French were badly discouraged. 
Joan of Arc was a simple country girl, pure and innocent, who imagined that 
she heard voices of angels and spirits urging her to take command of the 
army and lead the French to victory. It would be too long a story to tell 




LYONS. 

you all about it, but she finally induced the French king to let her lead the 
army. She was successful, and in less than three months she had accom- 
plished her purpose. But afterward she was taken prisoner, betrayed into 
the hands of the Knglish, and was burned in Rouen ; the charge against her 
was that of sorcery. They didn't think she could have done what she did 
unless she was a witch. Now let us look at some views of a few cities in 
southern France. Let us take Lyons first. Lyons, you will notice from the 
12 



196 



SCENES ABROAD. 



map, is at the junction of the Rhone and the Saone. It is the great manu- 
facturing city of France, and the largest city except, of course, Paris. Here 
we have a general view of the city. The streets along the rivers are all 
embanked and lined with great warehouses. Can any of you tell me what 
particular manufactory Lyons is noted for?" 

As no one seemed to know, Mr. Adams told them about the silk industry. 
It is the greatest center for the manufacturing of silk fabrics in the world. 




PLACE BELLE COUR. 

As they had all seen a Jacquard loom at work in the exposition, they were 
much interested to know that Jacquard was a native of Lyons, and that that 
invention had revolutionized the manufacture of silk. 

" Our next view," continued Uncle George, " is that of one of the public 
squares of the city. The people of Lyons claim that this is the most beauti- 
ful square in Europe. But the traveler soon recognizes this to be a little 
harmless self-conceit, for Paris alone has several squares more beautiful than 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 



197 



that. But, as you see, it is planted with trees, ornamented with basins and 
fountains, and has two elegant pavilions. This makes it a great place for a 
promenade, especially when the military band plays." 

"Who is that man on horseback?" asked Henry, referring to the statue. 

** That is Louis XIV. I was telling you about a little while ago. The 
first statue put up there of the same king was pulled down in the great 
Revolutionary times; but a new one, as you see in the picture, was erected in 




HOTEL DE VILLE, LYONS. 



1825. By the way, when Napoleon was coming back from Elba, he made his 
first army review in that square. Our next view, I see, is the famous Hotel 
de Ville. This is one of the nicest buildings in Europe." 

"What a nice hotel that must be!" exclaimed Henry. 

Uncle George could not repress a laugh as he told him and the club 
generally that an " Hotel de Ville" was not an hotel as we understand it, 
but the public municipal building of the city, where all the city business was 



198 



SCENES ABROAD. 



attended to. " But for all that," lie continued, " it is a very beautiful build- 
ing. Now, before we leave France, we must glance at rural life. I have 
here a little description of a scene in the Valley of the Marne, which Ida may 
read. I have not bothered her much with reading this time; and as she 
reads it you might glance at this picture of a French village." 

Ida read the following description: "As you stroll along, now climb- 
ing, now descending this pleasantly undulating country, you may see grow- 
ing, in less than an acre, a patch of potatoes here, a vineyard there ; on one 
side a bit of wheat, oats, rye, and barley, with fruit trees casting abundant 
shadows over all ; further on, a poppy field, three weeks ago in full flower, 




GLIMPSB OP A FRENCH VILLAGE. 



now having pods ready for gathering ; these and many more are found close 
together, and near them many a lovely little glen, copse, and ravine, recalling 
Scotland and Wales, while the open hill-sides show broad belts of pasture, 
corn, and vineyard. You may walk for miles through what seems one vast 
orchard — only, instead of turf, rich crops are growing under the trees. This 
is, indeed, the orchard of France. Then there are quiet little rivers and 
canals winding in between lofty lines of poplars, undulating pastures, and 
amber corn-fields ; picturesque villages crowned by a church spire here and 
there ; wide sweeps of highly cultivated land, interspersed with rich woods, 
vineyardSj orchards, and gardens. We are apt to be struck with the number 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 



199 



of trees to be seen on every side. The banks of the rivers and canals are 
sure to be lined with poplars. That, however, is the w^ork of the government. 
Every spare bit of ground belonging to the state is sure to be planted with 
trees for the sake of the timber. As for the villages, we notice the pains 
taken to embellish them with shady walks and promenades. The smallest 
town in the Valley of the Marne has its promenades and avenues for the 
convenience of the passer-by." 

"That is very good," said Uncle George, as she concluded. " Of course 
not all of France will stand such praise as that; but France is a very rich 




CHATEAU OF CHENONCEAUX. 

country. There are comparatively few large estates, and there is a great 
amount of wealth in the country. In this view we have what they call a 
chateau, a country seat of some wealthy family. 

"Traveling in our easy and convenient fashion, we will look at a few 
views of Spain. To-night we seem to have had a number of historical 
reminiscences, and so, in the case of Spain, let Henry tell us what Spain had 
to do with this country." 

Henry did not fairly understand what his uncle w^anted, but after mak- 
ing it clearer he at once mentioned Columbus. 

"That is it exactly," said Uncle George. "We may not find much in 



200 SCENES ABROAD. 

Spain to interest us at present, but we must never forget that once it was a 
mighty nation and played a great part in the discovery of America; and here 
we have a view of Columbus at the moment of the discovery of America." 

"When we were talking about Norway, uncle, you said somethijg about 
the Norsemen discovering America. I wish you would tell us something 
about it," said Burt. " Did Columbus know about it?" he added. 

" It is extremely probable that he knew pretty well what he was about," . 
replied Mr. Adams. "It is known that he visited Iceland in 1477, fifteen 
years before his memorable voyage, and, of course, he must have heard of 
their expeditions. Still, even earlier than that, he had made known his con- 
viction that by sailing west he could reach land. But it was a most fortunate 
thing for Spain that America was discovered by her help. You who have 
read history know how very prosperous Spain was for some centuries. The 
discovery of America had a great deal to do with that prosperity. It gave 
the whole nation a start forward. But now let us come back to our trip. 
Who can tell me the mountains lying between France and Spain?" 

This was a very easy question to answer, and they all knew where the 
Pyrenees were. 

" "Seeing that question is so easy," continued Uncle George, "I will ask 
if you know of any country lying between France and Spain?" 

"Any country?" exclaimed Willie. "Why, uncle, there ain't any; they 
come right close together." 

"Ah, I thought I would have you there. Didn't any of you ever read of 
the little republic of Andorra? Well, there it is, at any rate. A little, 
independent state, with an area of about 200 square miles, and a population 
not far from 10,000." 

"Is it a really true independent country?" asked Ida. "How does it 
happen that it hasn't been swallowed up by either France or Spain?" 

"Yes, indeed, it is a free republic, and has been independent since the 
days of Charlemagne. The very insignificance of the country and the back- 
ward state of the people have tended to keep it free. But national jealousy 
has done the rest. Neither France nor Spain will permit the other to gobble 
it up. And now can you tell me of au}^ more interesting people who live in 
the valleys and defiles of these mountains?" 

As none could answer this question, Uncle George told them briefly 
about the Basques, those strange people who are supposed to represent the 
primitive inhabitants of Europe. 




CABL PILOTT. 

COLUMBUS ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 11th, 1492. 201 



FRANCE AND SPAIN, 



203 



"Spain," resumed Uncle George, "is a part of Europe but little visited. 
You see the scenery is not at all grand. The greater part of it is a stern, 
melanchol}' country, with rugged mountains and long, sweeping plains, 
destitute of trees, and indescribably silent and lonesome. You will not see 
a country dotted with houses, for the people live in little villages, generally 
possessing a ruined watch-tower, telling us of past times of insecurity and 
violence. But, on the other hand, certain elements of the scenery cannot fail 




VIEW OF MADRID. 



to impress the true traveler. In places are immense plains extending as far 
as the eye can reach ; in other districts are great mountain chains destitute of 
shrub or tree, and mottled with variegated marbles and granites. We have 
been quite a long while on the way, and so if Henry will tell us the capital 
of Spain, Burt may point it out on the map." But he did not catch. Henry 
this time, and Burt soon pointed out the location of Madrid. 

" Here we have a general view of Madrid. It is by no means a beautiful 



204 



SCENES ABROAD. 




city, though on a river with 
an imposing bridge. There 
is any amount of fun made 
about the river. It is only a 
little mountain torrent, and 
only at certain seasons of 
the year is it at all imposing. 
It is not a very old place, 
as age counts in Europe. 
But at present it is steadily 
growing in importance." 

" Uncle," suddenly inquir- 
ed Nettie, ** did you ever see 
a bull fight?" 

" Well, yes ; I confess I did 
go to witness one while in 
Madrid. Of course an old 
traveler lihe myself is natur- 
ally curious to see all that 
there is to be seen. But 
'" no respectable foreign- 
er cares to see a fight 
the second time. The 
best classes 
of Spani- 
'ards are be- 
ginning to 
protest 
against it. 
This scene 
represents 
the entry of 
the fight- 



ENTRY OF THE FIGHTERS INTO THE ARENA. 



ers mro 
an arena. 



FRANCK AND SPAIN. 



205 



The great bull ring is capable of seating 14,000 spectators, and once a week it 
is crowded. But it is a most barbaric spectacle. The men are not in any great 
danger, although they are pointed out in the streets by admiring people as great 
heroes. The unfortunate horses are blinded so they cannot see their danger, 
and they are certain to be killed. The bulls, too, will be killed after they 
have furnished sufficient sport. It is really surprising how the wealthy and 
really cultivated inhabitants of Madrid delight to see these exhibitions. The 
torture is drawn out as long as possible. The miserable horses are patched 




LEAPING THE BARRIER. 

and made to stand up as long as possible. The bull, after he has killed 
several horses, is worried by sticking little barbed darts with flags at their 
end into his neck. Sometimes the base of these darts is filled with powder 
which explodes when it strikes the bull. It does please a Spanish audience 
to see the poor animal skip around in his misery. Great dexterity is shown 
by the men whose duty it is to insert these darts. In this cut you see one 
of them gracefully leaping the barrier just in time to escape being killed. 
Here is a description of the final act in the tragedy, which Ida may read." 



2o6 



SCENES ABROAD. 



So Ida read the following: "The matador comes forward, bowing to 
the audience, and, sword and cap in hand, confronts the bull. It is always 
an impressive picture. The tortured, maddened animal, whose thin flanks 
are palpitating with his hot breathings, his coat one shining mass of blood 
from Lhe darts and spear thrusts, his massive neck still decked as in mockery 
with the fluttering flags, his fine head and muzzle seeming sharpened by the 
hour's terrible experience, his formidable horns crimsoned with blood; in 
front of this fierce bulk of force and courage, the slight, sinewy form of the 
killer, whose only reliance is on his coolness and intellect. At a favorable 

moment the sword is thrust to the 
hilt between the left shoulder and 
spine, and the bull reels and dies. 
The heavens are rent with thun- 
derous applause, and in a few 
minutes another bull bounds into 
'' the arena and the barbarous spectacle 
T is again gone through until six bulls 
have been killed." 




THE ALCAZAR. 



"We will now leave Madrid for 
the southern part of Spain. We 
will go to Andalusia, and first to the 
city of Seville. When you get to 
this part of Spain, we are right in 
the center of the Moorish or Sara- 
cenic Kingdom in Spain. When 
you read history you will be inter- 
ested in reading about the Arab con- 
quest of Spain, and the kingdom they established there. Now, what I want 
especially to call your attention to is some remains of their architecture. 
Here we have a view of the Alcazar. This word really means a castle. But 
you must notice the graceful pillars, the high-vaulted hall, the fine stucco 
work, and, to give us a better idea still, I will show a large view of what is 
known as the Hall of Embassadors." 

"Uncle, I want to know a little more about these Moors," said Burt. 
" Well, you of course know that when Mohammedanism began to spread, 
the Arabs had wonderful success wherever they marched. It really seemed 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 



209 



at one time as if they were going to subdue the world. They crossed over 
from Northern Africa to Spain. Northern Africa was called by the Romans 
Majiritiana^ hence these invaders were called Moors; they were all Moham- 
medans. They conquered the greater portion of Spain, and for seven 
centuries held large parts of the peninsula. During that time Spain was one 
of the most enlightened countries of Europe. It was the home of science 
during the Dark Ages. Of course they did not rest satisfied with their con- 
quest in Spain, but crossed the Pyrenees and invaded France. Here, how- 




DEFEAT OF THE SARACENS BY CHARLES MARTEL. 

ever, they were defeated in a terrible battle. And, by the way, we have here 
a view of that battle, which is one of the most important in history." 

"I think they knew how to build real pretty palaces, anyway," said 
Nettie, still looking at the views of the Alcazar. 

"Yes, they undoubtedly did. Ferdinand and Isabella, that helped 
Columbus discover America, finally drove the Moors out of Spain. But the 
influence on the country remains to this day. All over Spain you find 



2IO SCENES ABROAD. 

scenes reminding you of this era in history. Every little village has its 
ruined watch-tower built by the Moors ; and, especially in the southern part 
of Spain, you continually hear romantic stories about hidden stores of wealth 
which the Moors had concealed. But, talking about the Moors, we must take 
a visit to Granada and see the Alhambra." 




HALL OF THE TWO SISTERS IN THE ALHAMBRA. 

"Oh, yes, uncle!" exclaimed Nettie, "did you go there? I read 
Irving's description of that place, and it was ever so nice." 

" That is a most charming book. We could spend a whole evening with 
the Alhambra. Here we have a view of one of the halls known as the ' Hall 




212 



COUKT Of LIONS. 



FRANCE AND SPAIN. 213 

of the Two Sisters.' You must notice how light and graceful the whole 
scene appears." 

" Is the Alhambra another palace?" asked Henry. 

"It is far more than a palace. It was an immense fortress, of which the 
palace formed but a part. In the time of the Moors 40,000 men could be 
accommodated within the walls of this fortress. It is beautifully situated on 
an elevated hill overlooking the town of Granada. The Kingdom of Granada 
was the last stronghold of the Moors, and the Alhambra was their last 
citadel, where they exerted themselves to the utmost to make a beautiful 
resort. Here we have another view, the Court of Lions. We will let Ida 
read this account from Irving's 'Alhambra' which we have here." 

Taking the book, Ida read the following : " No part of the edifice gives 
a more complete idea of its original beauty than this, for none has suffered 
so little from the ravages of time. In the center stands the fountain, famous 
in song aiid story. The alabaster basins still shed their diamond drops; the 
twelve lions which support them, and give the court its name, still cast forth 
crystal streams as in the days of Boabdil. Round the four sides of the court 
are light Arabian arcades of open, filigree work, supported by slender pillars 
of white marble, which it is supposed were originally gilded. The archi- 
tecture, like that in most parts orthe interior of the palace, is characterized 
by elegance rather than grandeur, bespeaking a delicate and graceful taste 
and a disposition to indolent enjoyment. When one looks upon the fairy 
traces of the peristjdes, and the apparently fragile fretwork of the walls, it 
is difficult to believe that so much has survived the wear and tear of centuries, 
the shocks of earthquakes, the violence of war, and the quiet though less 
baneful pilferings of the tasteful traveler." 

"That is very good," said Uncle George, "and now I want to say in 
general that when you first glance at these pictures you are apt to think 
that it is exquisite carving in stone, but, in fact, the wall ornamentation is 
stucco or plaster of Paris work ; but for all that the effect is very pretty. 
Now we have no further time this evening, but I might remark that in the 
cathedral at Granada is the tomb of Ferdinand and Isabella. Now I think 
we have gone far enough for to-night. I onl}^ wish we could take more time 
and travel more slowly, but this way gives us a pretty good idea of a country 
after all." 

Then ensued the usual desultory conversation and explanations, which 
13 



214 



SCENES ABROAD. 



need not concern us. The next trip was announced as a trip to classical Italy. 
We can safely say that the club indulged in lively anticipations of an enjoyable 
time when they should meet again. They had now been over a considerable 
part of Europe ; had been hearing a great deal about the ancient Romans, 
and they were glad of a chance to clear up their rather vague thoughts about 
that people. 




TOMB OF FERDINAND AND ISABELLA. 



ITALY. 



215 




CHAPTER VI. 

Italy. 

ARE to visit Italy to-niglit, children," began Uncle George, 
when the club had assembled for the fifth meeting, and 
in that sunny land we have a good deal more to do than 
simply to see what is to be seen at the present day. 
This is the historic land, and in order to enjoy our visit we must 
talk a good deal of history. But this will make the evening much 
more instructive and enjoyable to us. You know all along in our trip so far 
we have been talking about Roman days and, Roman times. Well, we have 
now reached the very home of the Romans. We shall see a good many ruins 
of their greatness, and I think we can not do better than to talk a good deal 
about the old Romans. So, Burt, you get the atlas open at the right place, 
Italy, so that we may keep the geography 
straight, and we will talk history for a 
little while." 

There was no objection to this program. 
Henry was satisfied, provided he had some 
pictures to look at and some stories to 
hear. 

"You all know," continued Uncle 
George, " in a general way, about the great 
Roman Empire. We have every evidence capitoline wolf. 

that for a long series of years that power, which was afterguards called 
Rome, was slowly growing on the banks of the Tiber. Historic light in the 
case of Rome only goes back to the end of the third century b. c; back of 
that time we have a most confused stock of legendary stories — nice enough 
stories, but of no value as far as history is concerned. We have interesting 
stories about the famous twins, Romulus and Remus, who were nourished by 
the wolf represented in this bit of old sculpture shown here." 

" Do you say there is nothing in that story, uncle?" asked Willie. 

" Oh, no ; that story is what we call a myth. There has been a wonderful 




2l6 



SCENES ABROAD. 



collection of such stories in the case of Roman history. Some of them may 
be true, but we know nothing definitely about them. But we do know that, 
at the time of the birth of Christ, Rome was the one great power in the 
world. The Mediterranean was simply a Roman lake. On all sides of it 

^^ were provinces of 



this mighty em- 
pire; and so we 
want to ask a 
good deal about 
the old Romans 
themselves. We 
have here a view 
of Rome at the 
time of her great- 
est power. Of 
course, this is a 
fanciful scene; 
and yet it prob- 




IMPERIAL ROMK. 



ably possesses 
many elements 
of truth." 

What funny 
looking boats!" 
exclaimed Hen- 
ry- 

"They do look 

rather strange 
to us, don't they? 
As you are some- 
what interested 
in that, I will 
show you this 

view of an old Roman ship, so you can see what they are when you get near 
to them. The Romans used to take great long voyages in such ships as 
that; they sailed the Mediterranean in all directions, and, as you know, 
Caesar crossed the English Channel and invaded England by means of such 




ANCIENT ROMAN SHIP. 



ITALY. 



217 



boats. But, coming 
back to the first 
picture, the grand 
houses you see are 
public buildings 
and temples. The 
regular private 
houses of the citi- 
zens were one- 
storied buildings, ^ 
having three or four 
large halls opening 
into each other. 
Here is a view of an 




A ROMAN VILLA. 




ENTRANCE TO A ROMAN HOUSE. 



entrance to such a house, to- 
gether with a view of a villa 
of a rich Roman." 

"What is that word ' salve' 
at the opening?" asked Burt, 
pointing to the picture. 

" That is like our word * wel- 
come.' It was their method of 
greeting a visitor," explained 
Uncle George. "In the im- 
mediate suburbs were the 
beautiful villas of the rich — 
such as the villa of Seneca on 
the Appian Way, only four 
miles from Rome." 

" That villa, as you call it, 
has more than one story," said 
Ida. 

" Yes. Well, in the city 
there were large tenement 
houses that were several stories 



2l8 



SCENES ABROAD. 



in height. I might add that the private houses had no opening for light 
facing the street, so they looked more like castles than houses." 

" That villa wouldn't be a bad place to live in now," said Willie." 

" No, indeed. They were fitted up with every luxury that that age could 

command ; and yet they lacked many of our every day comforts. We would 

think it pretty difficult to fix up a comfortable house without glass, wouldn't 

we ? And so of a great many other things. But they managed to enjoy 




ROMAN LADY AT HER TOILET. 



themselves. In this picture of a Roman lady at her toilet, you see her waited 
on by her slaves, and articles of luxury scattered around the room." 

"Slaves!" exclaimed Willie. **Why, they look as white as any of the 
others." 

"But, for all that, they were slaves. The Romans were great slave- 
holders. In the latter days of the republic it is estimated that two-thirds of 
the people in Rome were slaves. You see, the captives taken in the wars 



ITALY. 



219 



were sold into slavery. Wealthy men used to follow up the armies and buy 
the slaves after a successful battle." 

** Were they cruel to them — I mean the owners? " asked Nettie. 

''Well, yes; they were. But, of course, there was a difference between 
their lot and that of the slaves we used to have in this country. They were 
often set free and could become honored citizens. But, as a general thing, 
their lot could not have been particularly a happy one. Some rich Romans 
had a vast number of slaves. They used them for every conceivable purpose. 




WALL ORNAMENT AT POMPEII. 

From the moment a stranger entered the house, his every want was attended 
to by slaves; different slaves for each purpose." 

"There seems to be a good many plants in the room," said Ida, pointing 
them out in the picture. 

"Oh, yes; in all ages of the world people have delighted in flowers. 
You furthermore notice that the walls are ornamented, and there is a statue. 
Here we have a nearer view of such ornamented walls. This was found at 
Pompeii, of which place we will speak soon." 



220 



SCENES AER-OAD. 



** What is that supposed to be in that black space — an angel?" asked 
Willie. 



*' They prob- 
abl}' didn't call 
it an angel, and, l 
for that matter, 
knew nothing 
about what we 
believe in as 
angels. But then 
every people be- 
lieved in good 
and evil spirits, 
good genii, etc., 
and that prob- 



■■ff'''ii'P"Mliliiiiill 




FURNITURE ETC. 



IN THE ROOM OF A RICH ROMAN. 

ably represents some such a concep- 
tion. Look sharp and you will see 
some more little kneeling figures 
there. So you see the Romans tried 
to make their homes as cheerful as 
they knew how with what they had 
to work with. At the present we 
have learned how to enjoy life, so 
that the poorest has more real enjoy- 
'ment now than the richest then." 

"Did they have furijiture in their 
rooms, the way we have?" asked Ida. 
" Of course their rooms were 
furnished, but not as ours are — you 
would have found no Brussels car- 
pets or large mirrors. Here we have 
a view of the furniture in the room 
of a rich Roman. On the table you 
see books that are rolls of manu- 
script ; musical instruments on the floor, lamps, etc., and the couch with its 
coverings. The various implements, of course, speak for themselves. Some 
of them look quite natural, don't they?" 




HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS. 



ITALY. 



221 



" What did you say about their books, uncle ?" inquired Burt. 

"Why, you know they had no printing in those da3's; the only waj' in 
which books could be multiplied was b}' copying the contents, and they used 
great rolls of papyrus for this purpose. We would think that a prett}' slow 
way of increasing the copies of a book. Often slaves were trained for this 
purpose." 

" I shouldn't think an}- one would read them when they were made," said 
Ida. 

" Of course, there was not near the amount of reading done then as 
at present," replied 'Mr. 



Adams. "It is hard to see 
how the world could have 
made ver}' great progress 
if some one had not hit 
on the invention of print- 
ing," he added after a 
brief pause. "The dining 
room of a Roman house," 
resumed Uncle George, 
*' was sometimes fitted up 
with great elegance. 
Nero had one in his 
palace built something 
like a theater, with shift- 
ing scenes that could 
change with each course. 
Here we have a dining 
room." 




ROMAN DINING HALL. 



" But where are the tables and chairs?" asked Nettie. 

"They reclined on the couches j^ou see here — resting on the left elbow, 
supported by cushions. There were usually three on the same couch, the 
middle place being the place of honor." 

"I believe I had rather sit up at the table," said Henry. How did they 
use their knives and forks?" 

" Why, they didn't have them, Henr}^ ; they used their fingers. When 
the guests dressed for a dinner, they usually put on some bright colored robe 



222 



SCENES ABROAD. 



variegated with flowers. They took off their shoes for fear of soiling the 
couch, which was often inlaid with ivory or tortoise shell and covered with a 
cloth of gold. The servants were arranged around the table much as at 
present." 

"I suppose they had about the same things to eat that we do?" inquired 
Willie. 

"Well, yes; on the whole. They ate some things we don't — such as 
peacocks; and they lacked some things we have — such as potatoes; but 





A ROMAN CITIZEN. 



A ROMAN MATRON. 



they had a plentiful supply of meat and vegetables. But now a word about 
the people who lived in these houses. We have here a picture of a Roman 
citizen and m'atron." 

*' But how funny the man is dressed," said Nettie with a laugh. "What 
is that funny thing he has on?" 

"That," said Uncle George with a smile, "is a toga; the garment the 
lady is represented as wearing is a tunica. The toga was the great garment 
among the Romans. They had them made of different materials, or colored 



ITALY. 



223 



differently, according to the rank of the citizen — a purple toga always being 
a sign of high office, and in the latter days was worn by the emperors. And 
so you see the meaning of the old saying, when speaking of some fortunate 
individual, that ' he was born to the purple.' A white toga with a purple 
border was worn by those holding a public office, by the priests, and by boys 
up to the sixteenth year. We would hardly expect it, but the Romans were 
very fond of wearing rings ; they often had one on each finger. Many per- 
sons possessed great collections of them, and the ladies, too, were quite 
up to some modern people in the way of heightening their charms. They 
knew how to dye the hair, to paint and powder. When boys reached the 




FUNERAL CEREMONIES. 



adult stage, they put off" the white toga with a purple border, and donned the 
toga virilis. Such occasions were very formal, ceremonious affairs. Now, as 
we are interested in all the particulars of the lives of the Romans, I have 
here some views of their funeral ceremonies. In the first we see the body 
lying in state surrounded by friends. You notice the censer burning at the 
side, and there are the musicians playing their wailing dirges." 

'' Some of the folks feel pretty bad, I guess," said Henry. 

"Ah, yes; it makes no difference- whether they were Romans or any one 
else, death always fills the heart with sorrow. Parting is always sad, whether 
the beloved one be a little child that we have learned to love, or whether 



224 



SCENES ABROAD. 



some aged one whose time of departure could not be long delayed ; our hearts 
ache when death approaches. But in our next picture you see a custom that 
seems strange to us. This is the place of eating the funeral meal nine 
days after death. It was regarded as a sort of farewell meal. Only simple 
dishes were partaken of near the grave. But sometimes games were provided 
for the general multitude, who were likewise regaled with goods and presents 
of nione}'." 

"That was something like a wake that we read of now and then, ain't it, 
uncle?" asked Willie. 

" Yes ; there is probably some sort of connection between them, but a 
great many people have had nearly the same sort of customs." 




PLACE OF EATING THE FUNERAL MEAL. 

"What are they doing in that next picture?" asked Henry, who evi- 
dently wanted to hurry the thing along. 

"The custom was, in th^ case of distinguished men, for one of his 
friends to pronounce a funeral oration over the remains. The most cele- 
brated one is probably the oration of Anthony over Caesar, of which we have 
a fine view. But, after all, we don't know much about that, only what 
Shakespeare imagines him to say." 

" The people seem to be getting mad, anyway," said Henry, still looking 
at the picture. 

"I wonder, did they believe the way we do about death?" inquired Ida. 



ITALY 



227 



"Now that introduces us to another subject I wanted to speak about. Of 
course they knew nothing about Christianity ; but then, you know, all people 
have some sort of religion, and in general they have hoped for a life beyond 
the grave. They worshipped their household gods — that is, the spirits of 
their ancestors. The sad feature about the heathen religions was that they 
did not satisfy the intellect, and so as the people advanced in culture they 
became skeptical and refused to believe in anything. That was the case in 




OFFERINGS OF THE VESTAL VIRGINS. 



cultured and wealthy Rome at the time of Christ. The higher classes had 
lost all interest in religion, though they still upheld the state religion as a 
matter of policy. We have views, as you see, of the Vestal Virgins attending 
to their duties. The Vestal Virgins, I might remark, were maidens vowed 
to a life of celibacy ; their principal duty was to guard the sacred fire, repre- 
sentative of the goddess Vesta. They were greatly respected by the Romans. 
The lower classes were, of course, as superstitious as ever. But among the 



228 



SCENES ABROAD. 






middle classes there was growing the knowledge of semi-mystical religion, 
like the worship of Serapis. But I must be careful, or I will be talking about 
things you don't understand." 

"Why, no, uncle; I am sure we all like to hear about that, and here is 
another curious picture — what about that?" said Burt, pointing to the open 
book of views. 

" Well, I will explain about that," said Uncle George. " That is a Roman 
Haruspex. You see, the Romans were very superstitious and believed in 

witchcraft and sorcery, 
and had their priests 
who believed they could 
foretell future events 
b}^ the appearance of 
slaughtered fowls. 
That was a funny idea, 
wasn't it? But people 
never reason when it 
comes to superstitious 
customs. The Romans 
most devoutly believed 
in this custom. They 
never would undertake 
an}?^ important move- 
ment unless the augurs 
assured them the time 
was propitious. Armies 
were not marched, im- 
portant battles were 
delayed until all those 
skilled in this method of fortune-telling had decided that all was ready. Now 
we must talk about the public life of the old Romans. Just before the" 
Christian era, Rome changed from a republic to an empire ; and here we 
have a view of the first emperor, Augustus, and his intimate companions. 
It was during his reign that Jesus Christ was born in the Roman province 
of Judea. 

"In our next view we have represented a Roman judgment hall, or 




COURT OF AUGUSTUS. 




A ROMAN HARUSPEX. 



C. BI.ASHS1ELB 



--y 



ITAI,\. 



231 



Court of Justice. You probably do not know it, but tlie fact is, the greatest 
influence the Romans have exerted on the civilization of to-day has been in 
the field of law. In the city of Florence is a copy of the ' digests ' of Roman 
law, made by order of Justinian, which is considered of very great value. It 
is kept under a glass cover constantly guarded, nobody being permitted to 
touch it unless by special permission. In fact, so great is the value attributed 




ROMAN JUDGMENT HALL. 

to this manuscript, that a formal ceremony is enacted while the spectators 
gaze on it. Among others, servants with torches in hand, and soldiers 
with drawn swords, stand round during the examination." 
"That is a funny way to do," remarked Nettie., 
Yes, it is ; and there is not much sense about it now. But I suppose it 
is a relic of an old custom, and I have more than once told you that when a 
14 



232 



SCENES ABROAD. 



custom gets started in Europe, it is a very difficult matter to break it up. 
Of course, Rome was the great military power of the world. They had 
arisen to power by means of war, so the god of war was a very important 
god among them. Before their soldiers left on distant expeditions, an offer- 
ing was made to him, as is shown here." 

"They generally came out ahead in their wars, I suppose," said Burt. 

"For a long while they did. But now and then they used to get 
whipped. It was during the reign of Augustus that three legions of Roman 
soldiers, under the command of Varus, were completely destroyed in battle 
with the partially civilized Germans. But for a number of centuries Rome 




OFFERINGS TO MARS. 



carried everything before her; and when her successful generals would come 
back from a glorious campaign, the Senate would decree them what they 
called a triumph." 

"What was a triumph?" asked Henry. 

"Why, a great procession would be formed of the victorious army. If 
they had taken important captives, they would be sometimes led along 
chained to the chariot of the conquering general. Everything was done to 
make the scene one long to be remembered. Now, perhaps, the best thing 
we can do is to take a little trip in Rome, and talk about some of the ruins 
and the history that belongs to them. If we were in the city of Rome to-day, 
we would want to walk down the Corso, the principal street in Rome, running 




PS 

o 

< 

c 

« 

w 

K 






ITALY. 235 

south from the Piazza Del Popolo. We would pass innumerable objects of 
interest. Finally we come to the very center of the old city, to the Forum. 
This was a level plat of ground between the Capitoline and Palatine hills. 
We have a full page view of this most interesting spot." 

"What is there about it so interesting, uncle?" inquired Willie. 

"Why, it was the heart of the Roman Empire, where its public business 
was transacted, where great questions of policy were discussed. So it became 
crowded with marble temples, state buildings, and courts of law to such an 
extent that we wonder how there was room for them all Avithin such a narrow 
area. There were monuments of great men, statues of Greek sculpture. 



THE FORUM. 



colonnades and porticoes, rich with the spoil of subject kingdoms. I have 
here a smaller view of a part of the Forum as it must have looked when it 
was surrounded on all sides by public buildings. Notice the pillars and 
statues ; that figure on horseback, by the way, still exists, and is a beautiful 
work of art. It is the statue of a noted emperor, Marcus Aurelius. The 
general direction of the Forum is from north to south, and ever}- part of it 
is historic ground. For instance, in the large picture in the background, 
close by the arch, you see a building with a tower on it; the lower part of 
that building is the old capitol of Rome. I have another view of that build- 
ing, giving us a probable idea of the scene to be obserA-ed before it once." 



236 



SCENES ABROAD. 



"What a funny kind of a cart that is," said Henry. 

"Yes; that is their chariot. I guess we would not think it much of a 
chariot, would we? Not having any springs, it would seem to us about as 
comfortable as a lumber wagon. Beneath the building were the treasury 
vaults of Rome, excavated in the solid rock on which the building stood ; 
and as the army was paid in coppers, most spacious vaults had to be 
employed. The second story of the old capitol is now employed as a museum, 
where the most interesting and valuable finds — that are always being made — 




ENTRANCE TO THE CAPITOL. 



are exhibited. The most interesting buildings of ancient Rome stood in 
the Forum. There are yet to be seen the remains of the Royal Palace, the 
residence of the Pontifex Maximus, or high priest. Julius Caesar lived 
there during the greater part of his life. Afterward it became the home of 
the Vestal Virgins — you know we just looked at some pictures of them. The 
Temple of Vesta stood near by. In this view we have a picture of a famous 
temple which stood on the Capitoline Hill; this was the Temple of Jupiter. 



ITALY. 



237 



The story has it that this temple was built by the mythical Romulus, but it 
probably was built by the Etruscans, who probably lived here long before 
the Romans arrived on the scene. This was a most splendid building. 
Triumphal processions of Roman soldiers marched up to this temple when 
they returned victorious from their wars, carrying with them the spoils of 
their campaigns. It was in this temple that Cicero made his first oration 
against Cataline. I have not begun to mention all the interesting remains to 




FACADE OF JUPITER STATOR'S TEMPLE. 

be seen in the Forum. And probably before many years the government will 
have completed its excavation." 

" Excavation !" exclaimed Burt. Why, how did it get buried up?" 
"Why, yes; the entire Forum was covered with from fifteen to twenty 
feet of soil. And for a number of years excavations have been in progress, 
and still a most interesting part of it is buried beneath the rubbish of many 
centuries. The trouble is, that valuable buildings are erected on that portion, 
which of course would have to be removed before the work can proceed. 
Starting at the Forum was the celebrated Appian Way. I can not recall a 



238 



SCENES ABROAD. 



walk more interesting to the historian than a stroll along this ruined high- 
way. The Romans were celebrated for making good roads — the Appian Way 
was the most celebrated of these roads. It led from Rome to Brindisi on the 
Adriatic, and was thus the great highway for travelers from Greece and the 
Bast generally to Rome. It was paved throughout with jDroad, six-sided 
slabs of lava exactly fitted to each other ; it was twenty-six feet in width from 
curb to curb ; every forty feet were placed low columns as seats on which to 
rest or to assist the horseman in mounting; every five thousand feet were 
placed milestones — they were circular shafts with pedestals and appropriate 
inscriptions. Inns were scattered along the route, and statues of the various 




THE APPIAN WAY. 



gods and goddesses enlivened the scene. In the palmy days of ancient 
Rome, the first fifteen miles of way, or from Rome to the blue Alban Hills, 
was almost one continuous suburb. It was adorned with all the charms of 
nature and art, palatial villas and pleasure gardens, groves and vineyards, 
temples and aqueducts. Crowds of chariots and horsemen and wayfarers 
thronged the road from morning to night. In recent years they have laid 
bare that part of the road from the third to the eleventh milestone, so that 
you can now see the very pavement along which the old Roman emperors 
and generals frequently passed ; and once, at least, Paul. The view we have 
given shows us the nature of the scene." 



ITALY. 



239 



" Did you mean the Apostle Paul walked along that road?" asked Nettie. 

" Why, yes. You know we read in the Acts of Paul going a prisoner to 
Rome. The direct route from Puteoli to Rome was along this road. We 
can only imagine with what varied emotions he inust have approached the 
city, then a magnificent metropolis of nearly 2,000,000 inhabitants. Rather 
opposed to our ideas of propriety, the Romans placed on the sides of the 
roads entering the city the tombs of patrician families ; and, as we might 
suppose, the Appian Way was especially distinguished by the number and 
magnificence of its tombs. Some of the most illustrious people of ancient 




TOMB OF C.5iCILIA METALLA. 



Rome were buried here, and their monuments were of great beaut}^ and 
elegance. Some of them were fashioned as conical mounds, on the slopes of 
which trees and parterres of flowers were planted; others were built after the 
models of graceful Grecian temples ; others were huge circular masses of 
masonry; still others were simple sarcophagi, with lids resting on square 
elevated pedestals ; many of them were adorned with busts and statues of 
the departed, with altars, columns, and carvings. W^hat these tombs were in 
their prime, it is difficult for us to imagine. I have here a view of one of 
the most celebrated of these tombs — that of Caecilia Metalla, wife of the 



240 SCENES ABROAD. 

millionaire, Croesus. The appearance of this tower in the afternoon sun is 
very striking. It is built on a portion of rising ground, the roadway being 
sunk several feet below the general level, so as to make the grade as light as 
possible. The sort of battlement on top is a modern addition ; the tomb 
itself has a massive conical roof. Now, here is a verse of poetry that Lord 
Byron wrote of this tomb, which Ida may read." 
So Ida read from "Childe Harold:" 

There is a stern round tower of other days, 

Firm as a fortress, with its fence of stone, 
Such as an army's baffled strength delays. 

Standing with half its battlements alone, 

And with two thousand years of ivy grown. 
The garland of eternity, where wave 

The green leaves o'er it all by time o'erthrown. 
What was this tower of strength? Within its cave 
What treasure lay so locked, so hid? A woman's grave. 

"Just think a moment," said Uncle George as Ida ceased reading, "of 
the wonderful changes the country has witnessed since that tomb received its 
occupant. The great empire of Rome, which then seemed so strong, long 
since passed away ; Europe has become civilized, and a new world has been 
discovered and settled. I have here a beautiful extract from a late work 
about the Appian Way, which Willie may read." 

Willie read the following extract: "On every side are innumerable 
tokens of a vast expenditure of human toil, and love, and sorrow ; and it 
seems as if it had been all thrown away. For two miles and a half from the 
tomb of Csecilia Metalla I counted fifty-three tombs on the right, and forty- 
eight on the left. Broken tablets, retaining a few letters of the epitaphs of 
the dead ; mutilated statues and alto-relievos ; drums and capitals of pillars ; 
a hand or a foot, or a fold of marble drapery ; every form and variety of 
sculpture. The mere crumbs that had fallen from a profuse feast of artistic 
beauty, which nobody considers it worth while to pick up, lie moldering 
among the grass. At frequent intervals facing the road you see with mourn- 
ful interest the exposed interiors of tombs robbed of their treasures. Pitying 
hands have lately endeavored to atone for this desecration by lifting here 
and there out of the rubbish heap on which they were thrown some affecting 
group of family portraits, some choice specimens of delicate architecture, 




2^2 



SCENE IN THE CATACOMBS. 



ITALY. 



243 



some mutilated panel, on which the stern, hard features of a Roman Senator 
look out upon you, and placing them in a prominent position to attract 
attention." 

" I would think that would be rather of a sad walk," remarked Nettie, 
thoughtfull}'. 

"Well, it is sad," replied Uncle George; "or, perhaps, we had better say 
that it calls up mournful reflections in the mind of any thoughtful person. 
But, talking about the tombs, I might remark that some of the most extensive 
catacombs of Rome are alongside of the Appian Wa}-, and here we have a 

view of a fanciful r :~~ :" — : 

scene, probably not 
far from the truth, 
of an occurrence 
that took place 
many centuries 
ago." 

"But what are 
they doing, and 
what is a catacomb?" 
queried Henry. 

"A catacomb, 
Henry, was a place 
where long passage 
ways were dug in 
solid rock, like a 
coal mine, with colosseum at rome. 

branches running in all directions, and then niches dug out and coffins 
were put in them on the sides. In the early centuries of our era the 
Christians buried most of their dead in catacombs, and this picture is 
supposed to represent the relatives visiting the place where some loved 
member of the family rests. But we must hurry along, so we will go back 
to our starting point, that is the Forum. Let me see," resumed Uncle 
George thoughtfully, "probably the Colosseum would be the first ruin to 
catch the eye as we continued on our stroll, and here we have a view of it. 
The Colosseum was simply an immense amphitheater where public games of 
all kinds, of which the Romans were very fond, were publicly exhibited. 




244 



SCENES ABROAD. 



This was an enormous building. When entire it was 157 feet high and 
nearly 2,000 feet in circumference. Like many other famous monuments of 
antiquity it is disappointing at first sight, but grows in impressiveness the 
longer it is viewed. It was so large that nearly 100,000 spectators could be 
comfortably accommodated with seats and witness the combat of several 
hundred men and animals in the immense arena. The wealth and luxury of 
Rome were used to her utmost to adorn it. Portions of it were encrusted 



[WSfniinijiriiirtftEiiTr 







GLADIATORIAL GAMES. 



with costly marbles ; network of gilt bronze, supported b}^ stakes and wheels 
■of ivory, guarded the people from the beasts ; the spaces between the seats 
glittered with gold and gems ; a portico carried around the entire building 
was resplendent with gilded columns; marble statues thronged the arcades; 
the awnings were of silk ; marble tripods for burning perfumes were placed 
here and there, and costly fountains bubbled forth with perfumed waters. 
And here were held the gladiatorial games as shown in this cut. The 



ITALY. 



245 



gladiators were regularly trained for their art. They were largely slaves, 
criminals, prisoners of war, and in latter days Christians." 

"Spartacus was a gladiator, wasn't he?" exclaimed Nettie. "You know 
we had to read his speech to-day for our reading lesson. How the teacher 
did make us ring that out: 'If we must fight, let us fight for ourselves; if 
we must slaughter, let us slaughter our oppressors; if we must die, let us die 
under the open sky, by the bright waters, in noble, honorable battle!'" 




ARCH OF CONSTAXTIXE. 



Uncle George could not help laughing as Nettie recited this little ex- 
tract, and then he told them about Spartacus, the gladiator. 

"Right near the Colosseum is a most interesting arch which I have 
represented in this view — the Arch of Constantine. Constantine was the 
first Christian emperor, though it must be confessed that he was not a verj^ 
good example of a Christian. Although the arch is dedicated to Constantine, 
yet it was an old arch to Isis, decorated by reliefs taken from the Arch of 
Trajan, and onl)- a small part of it was new and appropriate to Constantine." 

"I shouldn't think he would want such an arch as that," said Burt. 



246 SCENES ABROAD. 

"I don't think it showed very good taste, myself," continued Uncle 
George, " but Constantine was a strange character, and owes most of his fame 
to the fact that the new religion, Christianity, got the upper hand of 
heathenism in his reign. But we must pass along. But a few squares to the 

southwest of the 
— " ) ^^y^^: _ , ;^^^^^-^$5::^^^^^^N. C o 1 o s s e u m we 

come to a rum 01 

^v h i c h but few 

ar— -^ ^^^^^^-^-^ .vj^^:: -^ traces now remain, 

but which was once 
of great renown. 
t^i This brings us to 
the Circus Maxi- 
nius, and I see we 
have a view of it. 
This great circiis 



has almost entire- 
ly dis appeared, 




».i.».^w^*^ 



though some 
traces of it may 
be seen under the 
walls of some 
houses in the Via 
de Cerchi." 

"And what did 
they have in their 
circus?" asked 
Henry. "What 
we have in ours?" 
he continued. 

"Oh, all sorts 



CIRCUS MAXIMUS. 




CHARIOT RACE. 



of athletic contests, games, and chariot races. This last was a very favorite 
diversion with the Romans. You see we have a view of a chariot race. 
They enjoyed this kind of a race fully as much as people nowadays do our 
races. Lists of the horses with their names and colors and those of the 
drivers were handed about^ and heavy bets made upon each faction ; and some- 



ITALY. 



247 



times the contests between two parties broke out into open violence and 
bloody quarrels. One of the late emperors, Justinian, nearly lost his crown 
in consequence of disputes which originated in the circus. Now," resumed 
Uncle George, "perhaps we had better examine some of the views to be seen 
in Rome at the present time. As you know, Rome is the headquarters of 
the Catholic Church, so, of course, we want to visit that part of the city where 




BRIDGE OF ST. ANGELO. 

the Vatican is. So starting once more from the Piazza del Popolo we come 
to the bridge of St. Angelo, and here is a view of it. You see it adorned 
with statues." 

"And what about the big building that it leads to?" asked Willie. 

"That is now known as the Castle of St. iVngelo, but in the first place 
it was the mausoleum of the Bmperor Hadrian. It was built early in the 
15 



248 



SCENES ABROAD. 



second century, and was a really magnificent building; it was covered with 
white marble, and decorated with statues of gods and heroes. After serving 



/'?5%/.; 




I-} 

< 

o 

w 

33 

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u 

tfi 

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as a tomb for Hadrian for about four centuries it was turned into a fortress. 
We now come to one of the wonders of Rome, the long-wished-for goal of 
many pious pilgrims, the celebrated Cathedral of St. Peter — the largest 



ITAIA'. 



249 



church in the world. First 1 will show you a view of the approach to the 
■cathedral. The open space in front includes about ten acres ; it is paved 
with square blocks of lava crossed by marble walks, and in the center is an 
immense Egyptian obelisk. Notice the fine fountains on the sides, and 
especially the two great semi-circular colonnades. You see there are four 
rows of columns, each column being forty-two feet and a half in height; and, 
looking at the balustrade along the top, you see a long row of statues ; 
each is sixteen feet in height. I guess you will agree that that is a most 
magnificent approach to a church." 

" And how long was that church 
building, as long as that cathedral at 
Cologne?" asked Henry. 

" Not quite as long," responded 
Uncle George. It was building during 
a period of 175 3^ears, but, of course, 
workmen were not emploj^ed on it all 
that time. Some fifteen different archi- 
tects had charge of the building. The 
most celebrated one, by the way, was 
Michael Angelo, and I see I have a 
small cut of him here. He was a most 
remarkable man. In many different 
ways he was renowned as an artist. 
There was a church standing on the 
site of St. Peter's from ver}' earl}^ 
times, built, it is said, to commemorate 
the place where St. Peter suffered mar- 
tyrdom. Then they finally resolved to build a church which should surpass 
all others. When Michael Angelo took charge of the Avork as architect, he 
was in his seventj-second year ; but, being dissatisfied with the existing plans, 
shut himself up in his room, and in fifteen days made an entire!}' new plan. 
He did not live to see them completed, but, on the whole, the}- have been 
carried out ; and wherever they were changed it is now acknowledged that it 
was a mistake to do so." 

" And how big is the church itself?" asked Willie. 

" Figures alone do not give us a very good idea. Tlie actual amount of 




MICHAEL ANGELO. 



250 



vSCHNKvS ABROAD. 



space covered b}- the church exceeds an acre and a half; there are more than 
450 columns within and without the building, and there are nearly 400 
statues. The cross you see on the top of the dome is 453 feet from the 
ground. As this is such an important church," continued Mr. Adams, " I 
will show 3'ou this view of the interior; but, of course, this will not begin to 
give you a true idea of the grandeur of the scene." 

"What do they do in such a fine church?" asked Henry. 




INTERIOR OF ST. PETER'S AT ROME. 

** Well, the great ceremonies of the church are held there. There the 
new Pope is crowned ; and at Christmas, Easter, and the festival of St. Peter's 
and St. Paul, the Pope celebrates mass there in person ; and then on Palm 
Sunday he blesses the palms, and so on other great church occasions the 
cathedral is used. Previous to the year 1870 one of the very finest sights to 
be seen in Rome was the illumination of St. Peter's at Easter. Four hundred 
men were stationed at various places within and without the church, and at 



ITALY. 251 

n given signal lamps were lit all over the cliureli. In less than a minute the 
building would be one blaze of light ; and, of course, owing to the vast size 
of the building, the effect was very grand. There are, besides, many inter- 
esting things to see within the church. There are, for instance, no less than 
forty-six altars and 121 lamps, the greater number of which are always kept 
burning. In one place there is a famous bronze statue of St. Peter, of which 
pilgrims have been accustomed to kiss the great toe ; it has actually been 
worn out of shape by the kisses of the faithful. One hundred and thirty-two 
popes have been buried in this church. Adjoining it is the Vatican — the 
palace of the popes. We could spend the whole evening talking about the 
interesting sights to be seen in the Vatican. There is the famous Sixtine 
•Chapel, the walls and ceilings are covered by the most magnificent series of 
frescoes the world has ever seen ; then there are a series of rooms decorated 
by the great artist, Raphael ; in the picture gallery are some of the most 
famous paintings in the world ; the collection of sculpture is also very fine ; 
in the librar}^ are over 24,000 valuable manuscripts, and a much larger 
number of valuable books. One of the MSS., by the way, is an extremely 
early copy of the New Testament, and, on that account, very valuable. Now 
we must glance at some of the other cities of Italy, thought we have not 
begun to exhaust the sights of Rome." 

"One question if you please, uncle!" exclaimed Burt. "Why is Rome 
called the Eternal City ; is it because it is so very old?" 

" No, not that ; it is not as old as Athens, for instance. But it has been 
a very important city since the third century before Christ. It was the 
capital of the great Roman Empire. Then, when the Catholic Church 
became firmly established, it was the capital, so to speak, of that church. 
The official residence of the Pope is there, and thus it is the center of ecclesi- 
astical authority for that important denomination." 

The club was not particularly anxious to have Uncle George hurry on, 
but when he mentioned Venice they w^ere reconciled to the change, since they 
had heard considerable of that place. 

''Venice," continued Uncle George, "is an interesting place to visit; 
and it, too, is interesting from its historical reminiscences. A few centuries 
ago it was rich and powerful, but now it is but a shadow of its former self. 
It is built on over 100 small islands, situated in an extensive lagoon in the 
Gulf of Venice. It is difficult to get at, but a railroad bridge about two 



252 



SCENES ABROAD. 



miles long leads from the main land to the principal island. What they call 
the Grand Canal takes a winding course through the city. This water-way 




w 

s 

> 

hi 

< 
o 

Q 
< 

a 



is broad and deep, and in general is lined with fine buildings like that one 
shown in this view. That is the Church of St. Mark's in the distance." 



riwi.v. 



253 



"Ain't there any streets in Venice, where horses and carriages can go 
on ?" asked Henry. 

" There are no streets for horses, Henry ; but then nearly every canal, 
big and little, has foot-walks bordering it and bridges crossing it, so that you 

can go all over the city if 
"I you want to on foot. 
There are only three 
bridges, however, cross- 
ing the Grand Canal. 
And, by the way, I have 
^ here a view of the Rialto ; 
that is a famous bridge, 
and the oldest one cross- 
ing the Grand Canal. 
But, owing to the nu- 
merous canals, the prin- 
cipal means of getting 



GONDOLA. 

around is by means 
of gondola s — o f 
course you have a.\lf 
heard of them. I- 
have a small view of 
one." 

" I saw one at the 
exposition in Cincin- 
nati last year when I 
went there with papa," 
broke in Henry. 

"Sure enough," 
said Uncle George, '^"^' ^^-^^"^^ -^^ venice. 

" I read they had some there. Well, as you have seen them, I do not need 
to talk longer about them. But in Venice they take the place of cabs and 
street cars. Now, arrived in the city, one of the principal sights is a visit 





254 



SCENES ABROAD, 



to the Square of St. Mark's — or the Piazza of St. Mark's, as it is called there. 
It is not a very large square, but it is one of the grandest in Europe. This 
is the heart of the city, and in older times it was connected with all of the 
great events in the history of the republic. The building we see before us is 
the famous Cathedral of St. Mark's. That is a most magnificent building 
and splendidly decorated. In the Middle Ages every Venetian galley trading 




PIAZZA OF ST. mark's. 

to the East was expected to bring back some trophy to ornament the church. 
It fills nearly the whole of one side of the square, and the traveler is fairly 
bewildered at the imposing display. Passing within the church, the scene is 
extremely beautiful. Fragments of colored glass, imbedded in a ground- 
work of gold, are so arranged as to form figures and landscapes, groups and 
individuals; there are gorgeous altars, marble pillars, cornices, and sculp- 
tured saints. In short, you are viewing the church that the richest and most 




2.S^) 



THK DUCAL PALACE, VENICE. 



ITALY. 257 

powerful city in Europe strove in every way to render attractive, and she 
succeeded." 

" It is no wonder they call that a nice square " said Ida, with enthusiasm. 

" No, indeed ; this is only one of the fine buildings. On the right, adjoin- 
ing this church, is the famous Ducal Palace of Venice, the seat of government, 
where the Doges held office. The Doge, as you know, was the chief execu- 
tive of Venice. The interest of this building is chiefly historical, and it 
gives us no bad idea of the ancient government. You see how the front is 
ornamented with foliage, figures, and symbols ; within, the walls are decorated 
b}' frescoes and paintings. In one room there are paintings of many of the 
old Doges, The paintings which cover many of the walls are of great his- 
torical interest ; many of them represent events which had a great deal to do 
with the history of the Middle Ages." 

"I have read a good deal about the Doge of Venice," said Burt. 

"I dare say," replied Uncle George, "he was quite an important person- 
age of the Middle Ages. For a century or over he was almost absolute; he 
made war or peace, commanded the army and nav3% and, in short, his will was 
law. But they, found a wa}^ to cut short his powers. By his oath of ofiBce, he 
promised to keep secret affairs of state, .to read no letters from abroad except 
when his councilors were present, to send no dispatches, to give audience 
to no embassadors, to return no response to an}' demand, to receive no gifts, 
to possess no property without the limits of the republic, to erect or repair no 
monuments, never to leave Venice without permission, never to receive in 
private generals of the republic, and not to permit any member of his family 
to hold any office, either within or without Venice. All these promises were 
renewed once everj^ month. We need not wonder, then, that the office was 
very little sought after. In short, he was a figure-head for the council. 

"I don't think he had a very good time in that nice palace," said Henrj'. 

"Those in power are often to be pitied rather than envied," replied Uncle 
George. " But we must pass on. Lord Brj'on has some beautiful verses on 
Venice. Let me read you one or two : 

I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs; 

A palace and a prison on each hand : 
I saw from out the wave her structures rise 

As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand ; 

A thousand years their cloudy wings expand 



258 SCENES ABROAD. 

Around me, and a dying glory smiles 

O'er the far times, when many a subject land 
Bowed to the winged lion's marble piles 
Where Venice sat in state, throned on her hundred isles. 

" But part of that I don't understand," exclaimed Willie. " What was 
the Bridge of Sighs, and what was the winged lion?" 




THE MOLO, VENICE. 

"Oh, I know all about the Bridge of Sighs," said Burt ; " it is the bridge 
connecting the palace with the prison, and prisoners were taken across this 
bridge after they had been sentenced ; but where is the winged lion?" 

"Well, in this view you see the lion on the top of the pillar. It was the 
standard of Venice, and was painted on their flags. St. Mark was the patron 



n'Ai.v. 



259 



saint. Public executions in ancient Venice were conducted between these 
pillars, 

" Didn't the Doges used to go through some ceremony they called wed- 
ding the Adriatic?" asked Nettie. 

"Yes, I thought I had a view to illustrate it, but I find I haven't. Every 
year the Doge was rowed out in a state boat called the Bucentaur to the 
Adriatic, and threw a ring into the sea. You see Venice derived her wealth, 
from commerce. Byron speaks of this when he sa3-s : 




The spouseless Adriatic mourns her lord, 
And, annual marriage now no more renewed. 

The Bucentaur lies rotting, unrestored — 
Neglected garments of her widowhood 



F^lifff%^^' 



<Wtl 



As it was getting quite late, Uncle George asked Burt to point out on 
the map the location of Florence. You have all heard of Florence. This is 
the great art center of Italy. It is not only a beautiful city, but has most 
interesting associations. Here again we find a river— the Arno— dividing 
the city into two unequal parts, and here is a view^ looking up the river." 



26o SCENES ABROAD. 

"What a queer looking bridge that is," said Nettie, pointing to the 
bridge in the immediate foreground. 

" That is the Ponte Vecchio, sometimes called the Jewelers' Bridge, 
because there are jewelers' shops all along it. There is a singular covered 
passage way along the top ; it joins two famous palaces, one on the north 
and one on the south side of the river. The Uffizi Palace on the south has 
one of the most famous collection of pictures and other art treasures in the 
world ; it is impossible to describe it. The palace on the north is the Vecchi 
Palace ; in earlier times it was the City Hall. It was built very strong, for 
there were troublous times in Florence. Here is a view of the court-yard. 
Now it is somewhat singular what a number of noted men have lived in 
Florence. There was Michael Angelo, who was probably the greatest artist 
that ever lived ; there was Dante, the great poet of Italy ; there was the 
navigator, Amerigo Vespucci." 

" Oh, I know about him ! This continent was named after him, wasn't it, 
uncle?" exclaimed Henry. " But I didn't know he lived in Florence." 

" His home is still shown," continued Uncle George, " and there is a 
little tablet fixed on the side, stating that he lived there once. Another noted 
Florentine was Galileo Galilei, the great astronomer. I presume you have 
all heard of a noted scene in his life." 

"What was it, please, uncle?" asked Ida. 

" Well, you know in an early age it was supposed that the earth was 
fixed immovable in space, and that the sun and the stars revolved around it. 
Galileo knew better than this, and taught that the earth revolved around the 
sun. Such was the unfortunate ignorance of the times that the authorities 
compelled him to recant this theory. They burned his books in the public 
square, and, knowing that it was death if he refused, Galileo humbly declared 
that Svith a sincere heart and unfeigned faith, I abjure, curse, and detest the 
said errors. I swear for the future never to say anything, verbally or in 
writing, which may give rise to similar suspicions against me.' That was a 
pretty broad denial of the whole belief, wasn't it? But tradition has it that 
on rising from his knees he whispered, * But it does move, though, for all 
that.'" 

" Do you think they would really have put him to death if he hadn't re- 
canted?" asked Ida. "What difference did it make, anyhow, as long as he 
really believed it ?" she added. 




262 



TOMU OF LORENZO. 



ITALY. 



263 



"They undoubtedly would have put him to death if he had not recanted. 
The world has been growing wiser the last few centuries, and we begin to see 
that no mere matter of belief or of scientific theory is right or wrong in 
itself. But they didn't think that way once. But we must pass on. Still 
another great man of Florence was Savonarola. He was an extremely elo- 
quent preacher, and one of the fearless spirits that did not hesitate to speak 




DEATH OF SAVONAROLA. 

for truth and right. Yet he had enemies, and was put to death in the public 
square of Florence. He was one of the reformers before the Reformation. 
Thus you see that Florence can claim the citizenship of many eminent men 
in former times. When you read history you will learn that the Medici 
family of Florence exercised a great influence during the fourteenth and 
fifteenth centuries. Their home also was in Florence. Yon see I have the 
picture of the tomb of Lorenzo di Aledicis, generally known as Lorenzo the 



264 



SCENES ABROAD. 



Magnificent. The IMedici family was very rich and very powerful. Fortu- 
nately they generally used their influence to advance the revival of learning, 
then just beginning to take place." 

"What are the two figures supposed to represent?" queried Burt, point- 
ing to the two recumbent figures in the picture. 

'* They represent Evening and Dawn. In the same church there is a 
tomb of another member of this family, and the two similar figures there are 
Day and Night. This Lorenzo sent learned men into all countries to collect 
books and antiquities; he set up printing presses, and he adorned Florence 




STREET IN POMPEII. 

with buildings and gardens ; but then he was a despotic ruler of Florence, 
for all that." 

"Uncle," said Willie, " before you close for to-night, you ought to tell 
us something about Pompeii and its destruction." 

" Oh, I heard about that place ; but what destroyed it — how did it all 
happen?" broke in Henry. 

" Pompeii and Herculaneum, Henry, were two sea-coast cities of ancient 
Italy, situated near the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. This is, as you know, a vol- 
cano; but it had long been quiet, and was supposed to be extinct. But in 
the year 79 of our era the volcano suddenly became active, and these cities 



ITALY. 265 

were overwhelmed in the eruption. Pompeii was buried under the ashes 
and general debris of the outbreak. It was gradually forgotten, but in the 
middle of the last century it was rediscovered in digging a well. Since that 
time systematic attempts have been made to excavate the city. I have here 
a view in a street of Pompeii which has been cleared out. It will be a good 
many years yet before the entire city is recovered. But, as it is, most valu- 
able results have been obtained." 

At this point Uncle George again glanced at his watch and decided 
that it was time for the club to adjourn. So the announcement was made 
that the next trip was to be to Greece, and, if time allowed, to Constanti- 
nople. 

"I am sorry," added Uncle George, "that we cannot devote more time to 
a country. But you see we have a good ways to go yet in our journey, and I 
am not sure that I can be with you many months longer, and I presume you 
will be tired of the journey by the time I am ready to go." 

"Say, uncle!" exclaimed Burt, when he suddenly stopped. The fact 
was, he had formed a sudden determination to go with his uncle if it could 
be brought about. Perhaps the fact that he was so quiet and sober made the 
whole club quiet on the way home. 



16 



266 



SCENES ABROAD. 



CHAPTER VII. 




are 



Hellas and the Levant. 

WAS kite-flying time when the sixth meeting of the club 
was held. No one can just tell w^hy it is that small boys 
seized with a desire to fly kites when spring comes on ; 
but certain it is that when the March winds begin to blow, 
and the early flowers think it about time to make their spring 
opening, the boys get their kites in order. This had been the 
principal business with Henry for some days ; and, in fact, that mysterious 
disease, spring fever, had taken more or less of a hold on the others as well. 
And so they hadn't thought very much about Greece or the East. They 
were, however, all ready to go to grandpa's. Though it was most too late 
for maple sugar, still some syrup had been saved, and they were going to have 
a final sugaring-off. So they assembled in the afternoon and had a good 
time down in the kitchen. Aunt Mary got up just the nicest little supper; 
but then she was famous for that sort of work. Grandpa told stories about 
his boyhood days ; but we are not sure that, looking back through the mist of 
many years, his recollection was a little distorted ; for in old age memory 
throws around childhood days a deceitful charm. Mrs. Adams, the mother 
of Burt and Willie, was there too. Now she did not often leave her home, 
and you would probably not guess what had brought her there with such a 
thoughtful look on her face. And what could she be talking about to Uncle 
George up in the library? We will tell you the secret, but be careful and 
don't repeat it. The fact is, Burt, who had been unusually quiet and 
thoughtful for several days, had finally told his mother that Uncle George 
was talking about goin-g away, and he wanted to know if he couldn't go with 
him. We all know how such a proposition would be apt to strike his mother. 
At first she did not think it could be done, then she would consider it, and, 
finally, she would see Uncle George in reference to it. So that was her 
principal business at this time. When she and Uncle George got through 
their talk, there was a serious but satisfied look on their faces. Burt 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 267 

could not quite make up his mind from their looks what they had decided on. 
But the evening drew on, and Uncle George and the club took possession of 
the library. Various books and the atlas were already on the long table, and 
the evening's trip soon began. 

"Now," commenced Uncle George, " I want you to notice the map that 
Burt has before him. It looks only a little ways from Italy to Greece, but in 
this case appearances are deceptive in more than one sense. Italy belongs 
to western Europe ; her past history and her present trade are with Europe. 
But Greece looks toward the east, and her -past history and present trade 
belong to the East. So when we get through with Itah- we start from 
Naples on the western shore, and go clear around Ital}- and around Greece to 
its eastern side before we stop. But this vo3'age is one of the pleasantest 
imaginable. In the earl}' morning the shores of Greece first come in sight. 
All travelers have a good deal to say about the beautiful color and light in 
Greece. Sometimes, at rare intervals, on a hot summer's day you can see a 
bluish haze about a distant landscape, blending the foliage together, toning 
down the rocks and the hills. In Greece, and the islands off her shores, this 
haze effect ma}^ be seen to perfection. Sometimes all sorts of colors seem to 
be blended while the air is perfectl}- clear and the sk}- the deepest kind of 
b)lue. The view from the sea shows us a land broken and rugged. The 
mainland at Greece is deeply indented at several places b}- gulfs and almost 
land-locked ba3'S, and is crossed and re-crossed by mountain ranges. You 
notice from the map that the western part of Greece is a peninsula — the 
Peloponnesus. This was the home of the Spartans ; or perhaps I had better 
say the Spartans were the principal Greek people in the peninsula. Well, 
our ship keeps on around the peninsula and finall}^ passes Cape Malea. Now 
we enter the old Greek world. Their sailors used to sa}-, 'When j-ou pass 
Cape Malea, forget your home.' I suppose I might tell you a good deal about 
the ancient Greeks, but it might not interest you." 

" Is Greece an older coun-tr}' than Rome that we talked about the other 
night?" inquired Nettie. 

" Oh, 3'es. Long before there was anj^ civilization in Ital}' there were 
culture and refinement in Greece. In fact, quite a large part of the popula- 
tion that made the Romans came from Greece. Southern Ital}' at one time 
was known as Greater Greece. But now let us resume our course. Passing 
up the Gulf of Egina, we ought not to forget that all around us is most 



268 



SCENES ABROAD. 



interesting historical ground. Every promontory, every island, every bay 
has its history. And thus to the beauty of nature is added the charm of 
historical and poetical association. Finally we come to anchor in the harbor 
of Athens called the Piraeus, and I have here a view of this famous old 
harbor." 

"And is that the city of Athens right on the shore, uncle?" spoke up 
Willie. 

"No; that is the modern town of Piraeus. This has all been built up 




HARBOR OF THE PIR^US. 

within the last fifty years. Greece used to belong to Turkey, and was terribly 
backward, but the country has developed quite rapidly. Athens is some 
five miles away. Way back in history this harbor was connected with 
Athens by great long walls; parts of them still remain. Their foundations, 
twelve feet thick, are used as the bed of the carriage road and railroad. 
When Athens was in her glory under Pericles, this harbor was a very strong 
one, and its mouth was defended by chains. By the way, I have somewhere 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



269 



a picture of it. Yes; here it is." And as lie spoke Uncle George opened 
another book. 

"And there are some more of those funny boats," said Henry, pointing 
them out. " They look as if they had duck heads on," he added. 

"So they do," said Uncle George, laughing at the odd simile. "Well, 
we must hurry on. Though there is a railroad running up to the city, most 
travelers prefer to take a carriage and drive up. There is, however, nothing 
to remind us that we are but a few miles from one of the most interesting 




ATHENS UNDER PERICLES. 

cities in the world. About half way to the city there is a wayside inn, and 
every coachman feels it to be his bounden duty to stop here and rest a while. 
No matter how much of a hurry you may be in, you can not persuade them 
to break this custom. However, we soon arrive at Athens. Ivlodern Athens is 
a finely constructed city of nearly 100,000 people, having all the modern conven- 
iences. But, of course, the great charm of the city is its historical significance. 
Just think; here we are in the oldest city in Europe. Long before Rome 
was settled Athens was a city. For centuries it was the intellectual center 
of Europe. x\ll our classical scholars point to Athens as the home of philos- 



270 



SCENES ABROAD. 



ophers, poets, and artists at a time when the rest of Europe was in a condi- 
tion of semi-barbarism. So we will first of all learn a little about these old 
Greeks, and see what ruins they have left 
behind that will be of interest to us." 

"Ain't there anything but old ruins to 
see?" inquired Henry in atone which plainly 
said he didn't care much for them. 

"Well, that is about all of interest, 
Henry," replied Uncle George, "but I guess 
we can enjoy ourselves for all that, and I am 
sure all who have read history will take a 
great deal of interest in them." 

In fact, the rest of the club had already 
expressed their opinion, so Uncle George 
proceeded. 

" In Greece, as in Italy, there is a legend- 
ary period." 

" But, uncle," broke in Nettie, " I meant 
to have asked you before, what do you mean 
by a legendary period ? " 

" Why, a legend is any remarkable story 
handed down from the past, which there is 
no very good ground for believing to be true 
— simply a marvelous story. Well, early 
Greek history is full of such marvelous 
stories, about which no one is expected to 
concern himself now. This picture I have 
here is about a famous expedition — the 
Argonautic Expedition. Now any of you 
who want to read queer stories of the myth- 
ical period in Greece, must hunt up an ac- 
count of this expedition in search of the 
Golden Fleece." 

"Why don't you tell it to us, uncle?" 
exclaimed Henry, always ready to hear a story. 

"Oh, that would take too long, but I have shown you a picture of the 




HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



271 



ship Argo, and in the ship are supposed to be standing some of the mythical 
heroes — such as Hercules, Theseus, Castor, and Pollux — ^just starting away 
on their dangerous trip. But probably the greatest collection of old stories 
is about the siege and destruction of Troy." 

"Where was that Troy, uncle? I never could iind it on any map of 
Greece," said Burt. 

"You will not find it on any map of Greece, Burt; you might find it on 
some of the ancient 
histor}^ maps o f 
Asia Minor, for it 
was near the Helle- 
s p o n t in Asia. 
Some of you older ''^ 
children ha v e ^^ 




TROJAN WAR HEROES. 



heard more or less 
of Homer, the 
famous poet of 
ancient Greece. 
We owe to him, 
or at au}^ rate for 
the collection of 
poems under his 

name, our first knowledge of ancient Troy. He told us about the famous 

Trojan War, and I see I have a picture of some of 
the heroes of that war as well as a picture from an 
old painting of Homer himself," 

"What is the name under that picture?" asked 
Nettie, slowl}- spelling it out. 

" That picture of Homer is from an old painting 
^ or bit of sculpture, I forget which, and the Greek 
name for Homer is copied also." 

"What was it all about, anyway?" spoke up 
Henry, who didn't seem to be much interested. 

" Oh, well ; it is extremely difficult to say how much, if any, historical 
truth there is in the stories of this war. All this happened way before the 
dawn of histor3\ But 3'ou must all read about them some time. There are 




272 



SCENES ABROAD. 



any number of charming stories connected with them. By the way, I have 
a picture, * The Return from Troy.' " 

" They look as if they were glad to get back," said Ida. 

Uncle George smiled as he continued : " Well, now, I don't want to 




RETURN FROM TROY. 



keep you very long on this part. But here we have a collection of pictures 
representing various gods of Greek mythology. You see we have Jupiter 
and Juno, Neptune and Pluto, and in the center the assembly of all the gods 
on Mount Olympus." 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



273 




274 



SCENES ABROAD. 



"How funny, ain't it, uncle, that they believed in all that stuff?" ex- 
claimed Burt. 

"Well, my boy," replied Mr. Adams, " you must remember that Greek 
mythology, like the stories we have just been speaking about, properly belong 
to the childhood period of her history. Religions always change very slowly. 
Probably as long back as when Greece became a civilized country the edu- 
cated classes did not believe in their mythology ; only the common people 
held to the old ideas. But the educated people did not like to disturb the 




TYPES OF GREEK WOMEN. 

faith of the masses ; and, besides, they were influenced by the superstition of 
their childhood. But we must not discuss this now." 

" Uncle," said Henry, who had been looking at the picture, "what are 
they doing in the center picture? " 

" The Greeks believed that Mt. Olympus was the home of the gods. 
This is a council of all the gods and goddesses." 

" Now, the Greeks themselves were a singular sort of people. Much has 
been said about the beauty of the people. I have a picture of Greek women, 




276 



GREEK FESTIVAL SCENE- 



HEI.LAS AND THE LEVANT. 



277 



and so you can judge for yourself. But nowadays you will not see such 
types except in rare localities where the race has kept comparative]}' pure. 
But at the present day, as in ancient times, the people are inquisitive, nerv- 
ous, vain, egotistical, and intellectual all at once. That makes rather of a 
singular mixture ; but they always have been singular people." 

" It seems as if all the people you tell us about, uncle, think they are a 
little smarter than the rest of the folks," said Willie. 

" That is a pretty general complaint," said Mr. Adams. " All people, 
even we in America, are apt to think they are better than any other people. 




ENTRANCE TO A GREEK GARDEN. 

Kxtensive reading or traveling is a sure cure 
for this complaint. But now I have a picture 
supposed to represent a garden of a rich Greek in ancient times. But only 
a few, of course, could enjoy these luxuries. You see the slaves are in 
attendance, and they have music and all that." 

" And they had slaves like the old Romans, did they?" added Henry. 

"Yes; slavery is an old institution. The Greeks believed in enjoying 
themselves. I have a festival scene, but women were not present at these 
places. They had — especially the people of Athens — very strict ideas about 
keeping the women closely shut up at home ; and in this respect, judging by 



278 



SCENES ABROAD. 



the conduct of the present people of Athens, they are imitated by the modern 
Greeks. But the case was different in Sparta. Have any of you ever read 
about the Spartans?" 

All of the older children had some vague ideas about the strange govern- 
ment in Sparta ; but as Henry wanted to know more about it, Uncle George 
told them considerable about the Spartans and their strange system of govern- 
ment. 

" Now," he resumed, " I have some views of Greek home-life in old 




ENTERTAINMENT OF A GREEK LADY. 



times, supposed to be in the house of a rich Greek. The lady is being 
entertained by musicians and dancers, and notice the toilet articles." 

" How long ago was what you call ' old times ' in Greece ? " inquired 
Willie. 

" Three or four centuries before Christ," replied his uncle. " You must 
understand," he added, '* that Greece was the first country in Europe to be- 
come civilized. This was largely owing to their location — right near to Asia, 
you see, and thus brought in contact with the civilized people in that coun- 
try. But they soon surpassed their teachers. The modern Greeks of the 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



279 



present day are very inquisitive. By the way, a recent traveler tells of arriv- 
ing at a secluded village in Greece, and of how anxious the people were to 
ask him questions. The village school-master took the lead in questioning 
him. Here is the account, which Ida may read : " 

Ida took the book which her uncle handed her, and read as follows : " If 
ever I regretted not being a walking encyclopedia, it was during the exami- 
nation this good man put me through. All the 3'outh of the place eagerly 




ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES USED IN GREEK LIFE. 

caught at my answers, and did not miss such a good opportunity of getting 
information. If he let me rest a moment, all his neighbors suggested new 
questions to him. They had to be told of France, of Paris, and our large 
rivers ; of the railroads, of balloons, of England and China, and particularly 
of California. Their curiosity was not of too ignorant a nature, and their 
very questions showed they had a tolerable knowledge of things. They 
listened to my answers in murmuring silence, and passed on the answers to 
those that were too far off to hear me." 



28o 



SCENES ABROAD. 



"Now," said Uncle George, " that brings me to the last point I want to 
mention about the Greek people. You see here a picture entitled * Herodotus 
Reading his History.' You see the people then must have been much like 
the Greeks of to-day — curious to hear all that was to be said by any one who 




HERODOTUS READING HISTORY. 

could instruct them. It was this inquisitive nature that did much to make 
them renowned in arts and sciences." 

'• And who was this man — what did you call his name?" asked Henry, 
pointing to the picture. 

" Herodotus ; he is sometimes called the ' father of history,' one of the 
early Greek travelers and historians. But now let us talk about what is to 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



283 



be seen in Athens now. I have here a view of ancient Athens, and the same 
picture, I might remark, would do for a bird's-eye view of modern Athens^ 
as all the distinct outlines are there." 

"And what a queer hill right in the middle of the city!" exclaimed 
Nettie, pointing to the Acropolis. 

" That, said Uncle George, " is one of the most interesting places in the 
world. It is the Acropolis or citadel of Athens. It is a high rocky hill, 
rising some 300 feet above the level of the cit}' ; the top was leveled and the 
sides made precipitous by artificial means. Then the top was further pro- 
tected by a wall, and public buildings were erected on it. Wonderful interest 
is associated with all these buildings, and when you gaze on the ruins you 




ANCIENT ATHENS. 



must remember that the buildings were erected more than 400 j^ears B. c. 
A recent writer sa3's : 'Not Rome with its Forum and Colosseum, nor 
Baalbec with its Temple of the Sun, nor Pompeii with its revised association, 
nor Ephesus with its wondrous theater and Temple of Diana, can be com- 
pared with the Acropolis at Athens, where even in ruins the perfection of 
art is enthroned.' As this is such an important place, I will show you a 
view of it when it was perfect." 

"Uncle, won't you tell us a little more about those buildings there?" 
asked Burt, pointing to the picture. 

" Well, we are supposed to be looking from the west. The rock was 
inaccessible in all other directions. Notice the path leading up to the 
temple-looking gateway ? That is the Propylsea. The roadway leading to 
17 



284 



SCENES ABROAD. 



this gateway was once lavishly decorated wtth statues and reliefs. I assure 
you it is very interesting to wander along this way in its present ruined 
state and notice the ruts in the pavement formed there more than 2,000 years 
ago ; and as you enter the gateway, glancing back, you are afforded a most 
beautiful view of the distant sea flecked with islands, and the mournfully 
interesting ruins around." 

** What is that statue of a woman there?" asked Henry. 

"The Propylsea," continued Uncle George, scarcely noticing the ques- 
tion, " had two wings on the north and south sides respectively. Near the 
one on the north side was placed the celebrated statue of Athens — Promachus — 




THE PARTHENON AT ATHENS. 

made by Phidias. It was sixty-four feet in height, in full armor, leaning on 
a lance. The extremity of the lance was gilded, and formed a land-mark for 
sailors, as it could be seen a long way from the shore." 

"Wasn't the Parthenon on the Acropolis?" queried Burt. 

"Yes; that is the principal building you see in the picture. It is said 
that it was the finest edifice on the finest site in the world, hallowed by the 
noblest recollections. It was surrounded by porticoes and colonnades. This 
small cut will give you an idea pf the building. Of course, it is in ruins 
now. Many of the carvings you see are now in the British Museum. When 
Greece was a part of Turkey, Lord Elgin, then embassador to Turkey from 
England, received permission from Turkey to remove them. The Greeks 



HELLAS AND Till': I,I-;\A.\T 



285 



never forgave England for taking tlicni, but it must be said the}' seem to 
care very little for the many interesting ruins in their midst." 

" I suppose some of the columns are still standing," observed Nettie. 

"Yes; thirty-six are, or at least were standing a few years ago. That 
building has had a curious history. For 
the first 1,000 years of its existence it was 
a temple to the virgin goddess Athene ; 
then the Catholic Church made of it a 
cathedral of the Virgin Mary; then the 
Turks turned it into a mosque, and at 
present it is simply one of the grandest 
ruins in the world." 

" Whom did 3'ou say it was dedicated 
to at first?" inquired Willie. 

"To the titulary goddess of Athens 
— Athene. And, by the way, I have 
here a small picture of a celebrated statue 
of this goddess, which stood within the 
central hall of the Parthenon. This was 
one of the most celebrated statues of 
antiquity. It was forty-seven feet high ; 
made of gold and ivory." 

"After Phidias," said Henry, reading 
the title to the picture, "what does that 
mean?" he inquired. 

" Phidias was the name of the artist 
who made the statue," replied Uncle 
George. "He was. one of the most cele- 
brated artists that Greece produced. We 
will have occasion to glance at one more 
work of this artist before we get through pallas athene, after phidias. 
with Greece." 

"There is one more building that you have not told us about; what 
about that, uncle?" asked Burt. 

" That is the Erechtheium ; from the verj- earliest times a temple 
stood on that spot. But we must pass on. All over tli.^ top of the Acropolis 




286 



SCENES ABROAD. 



there are fragments of columns, pedestals, and old foundations, forming parts 
of ancient buildings or celebrated statues which we can not now describe. 
But you can now see why the Acropolis takes up such an important place in 
our description of Athens. Now," resumed Uncle George, turning the pages 
of the book he held in his hand, " we must hurry on. I see that our next 
view is that of a famous Greek temple at ^gina." 

" What kind of a temple is that, uncle?" inquired Burt, pointing to the 
title. 

" Pan-Hellenic means all of Greece ; or, in other words, this was the 




TEMPLE OF THE PAN-HELLENIC ZEUS AT ^GINA. 



temple to the national god of Greece, ^gina, I might remark, was an island 
off the coast of Greece. You notice the pillars in front? They are Doric 
pillars. The architecture of ancient Greece is quite an interesting study, 
but we must not stop to consider it now. You have probably heard of the 
names of the three principal orders of pillars — the Corinthian, Ionic, and 
Doric." 

" Corinthian," slowly pronounced Willie, " wasn't there a city of Corinth 
in Greece ?" 



HELLAS AND THR LEVANT. 



287 



"Yes, indeed ; Corinth was quite a rich and influential city on the little 
isthmus joining the Peloponnesus to the mainland. In the first century this 
was quite a celebrated place. You know in the New Testament Paul wrote 
two letters to the church in Corinth, but nowadays there are only a few 
pillars left to show that a city once stood there." 

"And wasn't Paul in Athens once?" asked Nettie. 

"Why, yes; he made his famous address from Mars' Hill. I was just 
going to speak about that place. To the west and a little to the north of the 




COURT OF THE AREOPAGUS. 



Acropolis is another interesting hill, sometimes, or generally in older 
histories, called the Areopagus, but it is also known as Alars' Hill. It got 

its first name from the fact that a famous court met there— the Areopagus 

and I have a small cut here which shows the court in session." 

" What kind of a court was it? " inquired Willie. 

"Well, we know very little of these far-away times. It was a judicial 
hody, and was especially concerned with criminal proceedings. It held its 
sessions in the open air, and the greatest solemnity was observed." 

" Now here, perhaps, is a good place to speak of some of the great men 



288 



SCENES ABROAD. 



of Athens. About a mile from the Acropolis is one of the most interesting 
spots in Athens. It is an olive grove, or rather the remains of one, where 
Socrates and Plato taught their philosophy some four centuries before Christ. 
I have here a picture of Socrates and of his death, I am sure there is no 
one who can read an account of the life of Socrates without admiring him. 
He accomplished a great work for Greek thought." 




DEATH OF SOCRATES. 



" Didn't I read somewhere that he had to drink a cup of poison ? " in- 
quired Ida. 

" Yes, he was charged with immorality — with spreading a disbelief in the 
gods of Greece. But a short distance to the southwest of the Acropolis is a 
place called the prison of Socrates — a sort of cell hewn out in the solid rock ; 
but there is no good reason for believing this was the place where he drank 
the cup of poison. In the picture 3'ou notice he is represented as about to 
take the cup. He could easily have fled from the country, but that he refused 




290 



CRCESUS ON THE FUNERAL PYRE. 



HELLAS AND THK LKVANT. 



291 



to do. He is supposed to have been consoling his friends, arguing that there 
must be a life beyond the grave, and is now ready to die." 

" What about this next picture? " exclaimed Henry, who was evidently 
willing to hurry things along. 

" Well, they tell a good story about that picture. Solon was the wise 
man of ancient Greece, who is supposed to have arranged their laws. He 
then went traveling and visited Croesus, who was enormously wealthy. King 




SOLON AND CRCESUS. 



Croesus showed Solon his royal treasures, and incidentally remarked that he 
ought to be a very happy man. But the wise Athenian ventured to suggest 
that he could not judge of the happiness of a life until it was ended, as 
calamities might overtake us. He then went away. Subsequently Croesus 
was conquered by his enemy and condemned to death, The views I have 
represent him showing his treasures to Solon, and also on the funeral pyre. 
One version of the story is, however, that he was saved from death. I see," 
remarked Uncle George, turning the page of his book, " that I have here a 
picture of another noted Greek, though celebrated in quite another direction. 



292 



SCENES ABROAD. 



You have heard of Alexander the Great. Here is a picture of him as a youth 
with his celebrated tutor, Aristotle." 

"I didn't know that Aristotle had anything to do with Alexander," said 
Burt. 

" He was his tutor, and I suppose that it was owing to this circumstance 
that Aristotle owed some of his discoveries. You see, when Alexander set 
out to conquer the world, he remembered his old teacher, and accordingly 




ALEXANDER AND ARISTOTLE. 



sent great collections of plants and animals to him to study. The career of 
Alexander was a most singular one. It illustrates one very important pointy 
The conqueror of the world could not control his own spirit. You know the 
Bible says, * He that ruleth his own spirit is greater than he that taketh a 
city.' It was surely so in his case. Now we could talk about a great many 
other noted men of ancient Greece, but our time is getting short. However, 
we can not leave Greece without speaking of the Olympic Games." 



J 



iii;llas and the lkvant. 



293 



'* Oil, yes ; I thought there was something about the games I wanted to 
ask you about," said Burt. 

" The Olympic games were great public festivals. The Greeks were 
very fond of such festival gatherings, and especially were they fond of the 
Olympic games cele- 
brated every four 3'ears 
at Olympia. The occa- 
sion was made a time 
of general peace. 
Heralds proclaimed 
throughout Greece the 
* Truce of God ' and 
all warfare ceased. As 
the time approached, a 
great stream of visitors 
from all parts of Greece 
gathered at Ellis ; that 
was the town near 
where they were cele- 
brated. All the Greek 
states sent deputies 
clad in their robes of 
o ffi c e. The athletes 
who were to take part 
arrived some time be- 
fore the opening of the 
festival, and underwent 
a course of training in 
the grove of Altis or 
sacred grove. By the 
way, I have a view of 
it htre. Looks like a pleasant place, don't it?" 

"What did they do at the games, themselves?" inquired Henry. 
Oh, all sorts of athletic exercises — running, leaping, jumping, boxing, 
wrentling, etc. The chariot races were especially exciting. You see I have 
a v^iw here supposed to represent a chariot race." 




GROVE OF ALTIS. 



294 



SCENES ABROAD. 



As he said this, uncle turned the page of the album and showed them a 
picture of the chariot race in the Olympic games. Henry asked if the 
chariots they had were like those in Rome. Uncle George said they were, 




o 



and explained that the Greeks, like the Romans, were extravagantly fond of 
races ; and, in fact, of all kinds of athletic exercises, and it was considered a 
great honor to win in these contests. 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



295 



" What did the one get who beat?" inquired Henry. 

" Nothing but a wreath of leaves from the sacred olive tree. But then 
other results followed. Heralds proclaimed his name and honors. If he was 
an Athenian, he received a small sum of money and free rations for life at 
the public expense. If he was a Spartan, he had the post of honor in battle. 
I guess we wouldn't think that a very desirable reward, but the old Spartans 
thought differently ; with them, war was everything. You must understand 
that these games were of a 



religious character. You 
notice the Temple of Olym- 
pian Zeus in the picture?" 

" And wasn't there a 
celebrated statue of some 
god there?" asked Burt. "It 
seems to me I have read 
about one there." 

" Yes, you are right. In 
the temple was the celebrated 
statue of the Olympian Zeus. 
Here is a picture of it, made, 
you see, by that same Phidias 
we talked about. By the 
way, this was reckoned one 
of the seven wonders of the 
ancient world. The finished 
work was over forty feet 
high, and represented the 
god seated on his throne. 
On his head was a wreath of 
olive. The drapery was of gold, richly worked with flowers and figures in 
enamel. The throne was of ebony and ivory, inlaid w'ith precious stones. 
Every one in Greece was expected to see that statue once, at least, in his 
life-time." 

"Uncle," inquired Nettie, "was the Delphic Oracle at that place?" 

"What was that?" added Henry. 

"No; the Delphic Oracle was at Delphi. In those days of ignorance, 




OLYMPIAN ZEUS, AFTER PHIDI.\S. 



296 



SCKXKS A 1? ROAD. 



when superstition was so very common, the gods in which they believed were 
supposed to have their special holy places and priests, to whom they made 
their wishes and intentions known in some way. Well, the special shrine of 
Apollo was at Delphi. There was a cleft in the rocks, and some kind of gas 
came up from the interior of the earth. The priestess was placed right over 
the cleft on a sort of tripod and was excited by the fumes, and when in that 
state gave out the ' oracles ' that are the answers supposed to be given by 
the god to various questions asked him. I have a picture here to illustrate 
that subject." 




THE PRIHSTESS OF APOLLO AT DKl.VUl. 



" Uncle, you said a while ago that the educated people probably believed 
in something different, what was it?" asked Burt. 

" Well, I will just barely mention it, especially as I have a picture or 
two to illustrate it. The educated people of the world in the time of Christ 
held to a belief different from the ordinary masses of people. But, for various 
reasons, they did not think it best to teach this publicly. So they had what 
they called mysteries. The knowledge taught was revealed only to the 
initiates. The town of Eleusis, near Athens, was especially celebrated as 
the center of the Eleusinian mysteries. Here is a view of one of the pro- 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



297 



cessions held at that time. The Greeks were greatly devoted to these mys- 
teries. It required a year to take the various degrees. Only the full-fledged 
members took part in the procession represented in this picture. If any one 




< 



< 

l-H 

■j: 



neglected initiation into them, the}^ were held in about the same light that 
we hold an infidel at the present da}-. That was one of the complaints 
against Socrates. When 3'ou get older, 3'ou must read up about these 



298 SCENES ABROAD. 

Elusinian mysteries. And I have also one of the symbolical pictures 
of an old mythological event that they worked over and made the means of 

teaching their new truths. Now, I 
must leave this subject, for, though 
one of the greatest interest to the 
student, I think we can find something 
more interesting to talk about. Per- 
haps we have spent all the time neces- 
sary on Greece. So we will leave that 
land and hurry on further east. We 
must look at a few views of Constanti- 
nople yet. Henry, can't you tell me 
how we go from Greece to Constanti- 
nople?" 

"Why, we take a ship at Athens, 
^ and, after passing Greece, go off north- 
S east across the ^gean Sea, and then 
^ we come to the Dardanelles and the 
^ Sea of Marmora, and then the Bos- 
o 




V 



phorus, and there we are. 

" I believe that is about the right 
way, Henry ; though we had better 
make sure by glancing at the map that 
Burt has. But we will suppose that 
we have arrived in front of Constanti- 
nople. As you approach the city the 
scenery is certainly grand. I have a 
picture here which gives us a faint 
idea of it. On the one side of that 
narrow stream of water is Europe ; on 
the other, Asia. The hills are crowded 
with buildings. You must understand 
that what we call Constantinople is 
really three cities. Stamboul and 
Galata on the European side; between them, in the little inlet of the Golden 
Horn on the Asiatic shore, we have Scutari. With this picture before us, 



o 
•ij 

o 

o 
"A 
u> 

> 

l-H 

o 



to 

VO 
VO 




i8 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 30T 

let Ida read this description by the Italian traveler, Amicis," said Uncle 
George, handing her the description. 

It had been quite a while since Ida had read any for the club, but she 
read quite nicely the following account: "The Golden Horn is directly 
before us like a river; on either shore two chains of heights on which rise 
and lengthen out two parallel chains of cities, embracing eight miles of hills, 
valleys, bays, and promontories; a hundred amphitheaters of monuments and 
gardens, houses, mosques, bazaars of an infinite variety of colors ; in the 
midst thousands of minarets with shining pinnacles rising into the sky like 
columns of ivory ; groves of cypress trees descending in long lines from the 
heights to the sea. To the right, Galata, faced by a forest of masts and sails 
and flags. Above Galata, Pera ; the vast outlines of her European palaces 
drawn upon the sky ; in front a bridge connecting the two shores, and 
traversed b}- two throngs of many colored people. To the left, Stamboul 
stretched upon her broad hills, upon each of ^yhich rises a gigantic mosque 
with leaden dome and golden pinnacles; behind you the shores of Asia close 
the panorama with the pompous splendors of Scutari." 

"That is ver}^ good," said Uncle George, when she ceased reading. 
^'However, of all these places, distance lends enchantment to the view; 
when you land and walk around, you do not find as much to admire. For 
the streets are narrow and dirty; there is a general appearance of indolence. 
The Turks believe in letting events take their course, and in many respects 
are away behind the present times. But the natural scenery is lovely ; the 
shores are bluffy, and so the appearance at a distance is very striking. But, 
changing the subject, can au}^ of you tell me whom Constantinople was named 
after?" 

It was Burt who answered the quer}^ by naming Constantine the Great. 
And then Uncle George told them about its being for a long while the capital 
of the eastern division of the Roman Empire, and of its final taking by the 
Turks, in whose hands it has since remained. 

"You notice in the background," resumed Uncle George, "a point of 
land with a number of steeples, or minarets as the Turks call them ; that 
is known as Seraglio Point, and is the very heart of Constantinople. Until 
very recently the Sultan had his residence there. It was a most splendid 
building, but his favorite palace is now outside of the city proper on the 
$hores of the Bosphorus." 



302 



SCENES ABROAD. 



"If he had such a nice place, what made him want to leave it?" asked 
Henry. 

"Well, he wanted a change, and so he had a magnificent palace built 
along the shore of the Bosphorus. Here is a view of it. You see it is right 
on the banks of the Bosphorus. It fronts along the shore for nearly half a 
mile. There are more than twenty splendid buildings constituting this 




DOLMA BAGHTCHE. 

palace. It may give you an idea of its vastness to learn that it requires the 
services of 5,500 servants to keep it in order. There are 400 boatmen, 400 
musicians, and others in proportion. In the royal stables there are some 
600 horses, 200 carriages, etc. All this, of course, requires an immense out- 
lay of money. So it is no wonder that Turkey is practically bankrupt all 
the time. It is a wonderfully corrupt and extravagant government, and it 
don't seem as though it could maintain itself much longer in Europe." 




o 
< 

« 

w 
w 



O 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 305 

" Who will get Coiistautiiiople then?" asked Willie. 

"That question can hardly be answered now. Russia has been longing 
for it for two centuries; and if it was not for the rest of Europe, she would 
undoubtedly have taken it before this time." 

"What stops her?" asked Henry. "Ain't she strong enough to do 
it ?" he added, referring, of course, to Russia and the conquest of Constanti- 
nople. 

"Well, none of the great powers of Europe want Russia to secure 
possession of Constantinople. You see that would make Russia very much 
stronger. So Austria, Germany, and the other powers are ready to help 
Turkey. By this means the Turks manage to keep possession of their terri- 
tory. I notice I have a picture here of a room in the old palace at Seraglio 
Point. That will give us an idea of Oriental luxury. Notice the fountain 
playing in the room, and the immense windows looking out on the water? 
The trimmings are of the very richest description. The wood work is in- 
laid with gold, ivory, and precious stones." 

" What are they sitting on?" asked Henry. 

" A sort of raised mat or couch runs around the room near the windows, 
and, like all Turks, they are sifting cross-legged. We wouldn't fancy sitting 
that way very long; but a Turk will sit that way for hours at a time smoking 
his pipe, apparently enjoying himself to the utmost. I suppose if the walls 
of that palace could speak, they would tell us much interesting histor}'. When 
the Turks first appeared in Europe, it seemed as if they were destined to 
carry everything before them. They came verj^ near capturing Vienna once, 
and, had they succeeded, history would probably have been a little difierent 
during the last century. The king of Poland, however, came to the rescue, 
and they were driven back. The most thoughtful of the Tiirks now regard 
it as only a question of time when they will be driven out of Europe 
altogether. But let us return to our pictures. This palace that we were 
looking at a minute ago is some miles up the Bosphorus ; by the wa^^, Henry, 
do you know what bodies of water that strait connects?" 

Uncle George did not catch Henry on that question. Henry was, as he 
expressed it, solid on geography, and quickly answered that it was the Sea 
of Marmora and the Black Sea. 

" Now, I might as well call your attention to this strait. It is probably 
the most interesting one in the world, as far as scenery is concerned. After 



3o6 



SCENES ABROAD. 



looking at this view of a lovely little suburb a few miles from Constantinople, 
Willie may read this account of the scenery." 

After glancing at the picture of Buyukdere, Willie read the following 
extract: "Probably no spot in the world exceeds in beauty the banks of 
the Bosphorus. There is an endless succession of pictures, sublime and 




BUYUKDERE. 

beautiful, delicate and gorgeous in coloring, 
soft and rugged by turns. Nor is it nature 
alone that charms. The sweeping lines of 
cupolas and graceful minarets meet the eye 
everywhere; the waters are alive with in- 
numerable craft ; and palaces, terraces, 
kiosks, castles, and shady groves are reflected 
on the water as in a mirror. More than 
this, every yard of either bank is historic ground. Every era in the world's 
history has left its mark on the banks of this famous strait. Here the civi- 
lization of the East sought a bridge into the West. Innumerable stories 
might be told of mythological times and beings; of the Phalanxes of Darius; 
the 10,000 warriors of Xenophon ; the crusading multitudes of the pious 
Godfrey men who passed in successive ages across this stream, which gives to 




HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



307 



history some of its most splendid stories, aud which concentrates still npon 
its waters the interests and the fate of empires." 

"Some of the parties named," resnmed Uncle George, "Darius, Xeno- 
phon, and Godfrc}-, are probably unknown to you; but what Willie read will 
help you form an idea of the historic interest and beauty of this strait. But 
now let us get back to the city itself. In this view I show you the principal 
mosque of Constantinople and one of the most celebrated churches in the 
Orient— the mosque of St. Sophia. There are four high minarets or spires ; 




ST. SOPHIA AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 

only two, you see, are shown in the picture. When you enter the church, it 
is seen to be a very grand one. The immense dome seems suspended in air. 
There are many pillars, enormous arches, and a real forest of columns. 
Some of the pillars are objects of interest. Eight of them came from the 
Temple of the Sun at Baalbec ; others from the Temple of Diana at Ephesus ; 
and still others from Palm3^ra, Thebes, Rome, Athens, and Alexandria." 

" How came they to get in the church or mosque?" asked Ida. 

"Justinian, who built the church of St. Sophia, was one of the last great 



3o8 SCENES ABROAD. 

Emperors of Rome. He exerted all his power to build a magnificent churcli^ 
one that would be an ornament to his capital. He proudly exclaimed when 
he had finished it, ' Solomon, I have surpassed thee ;' meaning that the 
church which he had built was grander than the Temple of Solomon at 
Jerusalem. By the way, there is a walled-up door in the church, about which 
such an interesting story is toid that Ida may read it," saying which. Uncle 
George handed Ida a book opened where he had placed a mark 

Ida then read the following story : "At the moment when the Turks 
broke into the Church of St. Sophia, a Greek bishop was saying mass before 
the high altar. At the sight of the invaders he abandoned the altar, w^ent 
into the gallery, and disappeared through this little door before the e3^es of 
the pursuing soldiers, who instantly found themselves stopped by a stone wall. 
They began to pound furiously upon the wall, but only succeeded in leaving 
the marks of their weapons upon it. Masons were called; but, after having 
worked for a whole day with pick and mattock, were obliged to renounce the 
task. All the masons in Constantinople tried their hands at it, and all failed 
to open a breach in the miraculous wall. But that wall will open ; it will 
open on the day when the profaned basilica shall be restored to Christian 
worship. Then the Greek bishop will issue forth, dressed in his pontifical 
habit with the chalice in his hand, with a radiant countenance, and, mounting 
the steps of the high altar, he wall resume the mass at the exact point where 
he left off, and on that day the dawn of new centuries shall shine resplendent 
for Constantinople." 

"But that ain't true, is it uncle?" exclaimed Henry, who had listened 
with a great deal of interest to the story. 

" Well, I guess it won't do to believe it all," said Uncle George, smiling. 

"I wish you would tell us more about the fall of Constantinople, uncle," 
said Burt. 

" I am quite willing to do that," replied his uncle. " Constantinople was 
the capital of the Eastern Division of the Roman Empire. As the power of 
that empire dwindled it concentrated itself more and more around Constanti- 
nople, until finally that city \vas about all that was left of the once great 
Empire of Rome. The Mohammedan power in Asia Minor had for some 
centuries desired to gain Constantinople, but they had not been strong 
enough to do this until the Turks appeared on the scene, who soon became 
the ruling people of the Mohammedan Empire. But it was not until the 



HELLAS AND THE LEVANT. 



309 



middle of the sixteenth century that they were able to efifect their wish in 
this matter. Then they made use of cannon for the first time in modern 
warfare. There was a terrible conflict around the walls of Constantinople, 
but the Turks were successful. With the fall of Constantinople the Roman 
Empire disappeared from the world." 

It was just at this moment that the clock struck nine, which was the 
hour that the club generally adjourned. So Uncle George made a few re- 
marks, and told them that the next evening would be taken up in talking 
about people and scenes in Asia. 

" We will take an entirely new start," he said. " Instead of going east 
we will go off west across the Pacific Ocean, and talk a little about China, 
Japan, and India; that will be a change." 

The children were soon on the way home, and Henry went fast asleep 
before he had gone ver}' far from grandpa's. Burt was wondering whether 
lie was going with his uncle on his next trip, and the rest were more or less 
thinking of the events of the evening. 




SOCRATES. 



3IO 



SCENES ABROAD. 



CHAPTER VIII. 




Eastern Asia. 

IS hard to decide wliat season of the year we most enjoy; 

the love of change makes us welcome each as it comes. 

And then, besides, each has its particular charms. Fruitful 

summer, picturesque autumn, snowy winter, floral spring 

how true it is that we welcome their coming and speed their 
going. While that is true, probably the children would 
decide that, all things considered, spring was the most enjoyable season of 
the year. And if we would only question Mother Nature we would discover 
the reason for this. Then the year itself is young, and so is sympathetic 
with youth. Now, when the club met for its seventh session, April, with its 
singing birds and opening flowers, was well under way ; so it was probably a 
good thing that Uncle George had something new to attract them. They 
were going to bid good-bye to Europe and go in a new direction. Henry 
said that Europe was " getting old," and possibly the other children shared 
this feeling in a measure. But, as it was, they were quite ready to go to 
grandpa's when the time arrived for the meeting. The days were rapidly 
growing in length at that time of the year, and it was just getting dark when 
they arrived. There was also one new sensation to talk about. It was now 
an open secret that, if Uncle George went away in the summer, Burt was to 
go along. You can imagine what an important personage that made him. 
His brother Willie was at first inclined to think he ought to go. But, after 
talking with his mother about it, he felt quite resigned. As he said, they 
couldn't both go, and he was going to have a good time at home, anyway. 
When they reached the library, they found an entirely new set of books 
on the table, and Uncle George had some funny looking objects in his hand 
which had a decided Chinese look to them. The lamps were lit, and the even- 
ing's trip begun by Uncle George asking Henry a few questions about the 
Pacific Ocean. 




o 
f-< 

t. 
o 

> 



M 
CO 



EASTERN ASIA. 313 

"Now," said he, "we will have to hurry along to-night. And so we will 
suppose that we have crossed this big ocean, of which Henry was telling us 
just now, and have arrived at Japan. As you all know, Tokio is the capital 
of Japan, so I will first show you a view in that city." 

" But, uncle, I thought the capital was Yeddo," exclaimed Nettie. 

" Yeddo is the old name, it belongs to old Japan ; but Tokio is the new 
name," replied her uncle. 

"Oh, that is Yeddo that used to be in our old geographies, is it?" said 
Burt. " Wh}'^, I thought that Yeddo was a great big place. That don't look 
like much of a city. What made them change its name, uncle ? " 

" The change of name is only an illustration of what has been going on 
in Japan the last twenty years. The whole nation has been seized with a 
feverish desire of change, which I will talk about soon. As for the size of 
the place, it was greatl}^ exaggerated in the past. Still it is much larger than 
it looks. Ida, 3'ou read for us this little extract about Tokio," handing her 
a book with a marked passage. 

" No view of Tokio is striking," commenced Ida ; " there is a monotou}- of 
meanness about it. The hills are not heights, and there are no salient objects 
to detain the e3'e for an instant. As a cit}', it lacks concentration. Masses 
of greenery, lined or patched with gray, and an absence of beginning or end, 
look suburban rather than metropolitan. Far away in the distance are 
other gray patches. You are told that those are still Tokio, and you ask no 
more. You can drive in a crooked line fifteen miles from north to south, 
and eleven miles from west to east, and are still in Tokio. The blue waters 
of the gulf are its only recognizable boundary. It is an aggregate of one 
hundred and twenty-five villages which grew together round the great fortress 
of the Mikado's chief vassal, and which, while retaining their parks, country 
houses, gardens, lakes, streams and fields, their rustic lanes and sylvian 
beauty, have agreed to call themselves Tokio." 

" Ain't that a mountain off to one side? " asked Henr}', pointing to the 
picture. 

" Yes, that is the Mountain of Fujisan. Like the Acropolis of Athens, 
that mountain is sure to appear in the background of anj- picture of Tokio. 
But all around the city itself is a dreary flat plain, where enormous quantities 
of rice are raised. Rice, by the wa}^, is the great staple of food with the 
Japanese. I have just spoken about the wonderful advance in all directions 



314 



SCENES ABROAD. 



that Japan has made but recently. Well, a few years ago there was a strange 
sort of government. The Mikado, the imperial ruler, lived in Tokio; but 
another officer, the military chief, called the Shogun, was the real ruler. 
Then the aristocracy of the land consisted of several hundred Daimios, 
chiefs of tribes. Here we have a view of one of the palaces in Tokio where 
the Daimios used to live once on a time." 

" Uncle, what made all this change?" inquired Willie. 




OI.D PALACE, TOKIO. 



" It is most too long to answer that question in full. I need only say 
that this double government has been abolished ; the Mikado is the sole 
ruler; the Daimios voluntarily surrendered their power. The government 
invited foreigners in to teach them ; schools were established ; enterprising 
young Japanese boys were sent to schools in America and Europe ; railroads 
were built ; telegraph lines opened ; the army was reorganized ; a navy built ; 



EASTERN ASIA. 



315 



and so almost at a bound Japan passed from a semi-barbaric state into full 
civilization. But it remains to be seen whether this state of things will last. 



-^ 







JAPANESE COURT DRESS. 



You can not change the manners and customs of a people in a da}', and a 
great many wise people think they can see signs of a re-action coming on. 
Here is a view of a courtier in full dress ; however, you must understand that 
19 



,i6 



SCENES ABROAD. 



that is true only of the old times I was speaking about. They are not in 
style now. The upper classes affect the European style of dressing, and 
probably before many years the distinctively national dress will disappear 
except in rural districts." 

" I don't sec how he could walk," said Ida, looking at the picture. 

"They had to shuffle along the best way they could. Of course, 3'ou 




JAPANESE WEDDING. 

understand that was only the court dress. If you should happen to be in 
Tokio on a festival day, you would greatly admire the holiday clothes ; but if 
a rain storm should come up, you would soon make another discovery — the 
fine clothes are nothing but paper. Veils, headgear, mantles, all begin to 
grow pulpy, and soon are not fit to wear. There is this much consolation 
about it, they only cost a few cents to begin with. Our next view," continued 
Uncle George, " is that of a Japanese wedding." 



EASTERN ASIA. 317 

" What are they all sitting on the floor for?" asked Henry. 

" Why, chairs, sofas, tables, stools, and similar articles to sit on are un- 
known luxuries in Japan. The floors are covered with nice mats, made of a 
uniform size. When you enter a house, you are expected to leave your boots 
or shoes at the door. The natives sit down ver}' comfortabl}- — cross-legged — 
but we would be apt to complain of cramp before many minutes." 

"There don't seem to be much in the room, anyway," added Ida. 

"No, you need not look for a great amount of furniture," replied Uncle 
George. "When a young couple set up housekeeping, all they need is a few 
mats for the floor, two sorts of thick quilts for bedding, a pan to cook rice in, 
a few large cups and trays, and a bath-tub. As rice is the principal article 
of food, the}' live very economically. Take them all in all, the Japanese are a 
very peculiar people. Ida may read for us this condensed account of Japanese 
customs." 

Ida then read the following account: " Politeness is a national charac- 
teristic. The foreigner in Japan is surprised to hear the politest phrases 
and to see mutual forbearance among the commonest coolies. Indeed, the 
Japanese make no distinction between politeness and morals. The)^ sa}- that 
cheating, h'ing, and other moral misdeeds are not polite. The people arc, 
in general, neat and clean in their houses, persons, and dress. Tea is a uni- 
versal beverage, and is served on all occasions in cups holding about half a 
gill, which are drained man}' times during the day. Smoking is general 
among men and women. The visitor is always served with tea, sweetmeats 
laid on a white paper on a tray, and a little bowl with a live coal in it to light 
his pipe with. Chop-sticks, as in China, take the place of the knife and 
fork. Food is eaten out of lacquered wooden bowls and porcelain cups. A 
feast is accompanied by music and dancing, and the last of the many courses 
is rice and tea. Sake or rice beer is served throughout the feast ; it is kept 
in tall bottles, which are first set in boiling water to heat the sake, which is 
always drank hot. The cups used at a feast are very small, and are passed 
around or thrown across to each other by the guests, and filled by pretty 
damsels in waiting. At a banquet, any one can introduce himself to another 
person by offering the cup; if he drinks and returns the cup, the introduc- 
tion is made and acquaintance begins. The houses are low, and built of a 
frame of wood with wattlinsf of reed or bamboo ; the interstices filled with 
mud, and covered with white plaster." 



3i8 



SCENES ABROAD. 



" I only want to add to that long extract," said Uncle George, as Ida 
concluded, " that, in general, the people are very light-hearted and merry. 




^^A^^^g^:=§ 



JAPANESE BALANCING FEATS. 



and believe in having a thoroughly good time. They are very fond of shows 
of all kinds, and especially feats of balancing and jugglery. Now here I 
have a picture of jugglers performing some wonderful tricks in balancing." 



EASTERN ASIA. 



321 



"What in the world, uncle, is that thing they are standing on?" broke 
in Willie. 

"That is a false nose; it is a bamboo pole fixed on the face right over 
the nose. Just see that fellow standing on one, playing with the balls and 
keeping the parasol revolving all at once! I thought," resumed Uncle 
George, after they had all examined the picture as much as thej' wished, 
"that we would only just pause at Japan and hurry on to other parts of 
Eastern Asia, so we will talk a little about China now. Just turn the page of 
the atlas, Burt, and you see China. It is, as you all know, a great big 
country in Eastern Asia. And it is also one about whose history and general 




CHINIiSE jrXK. 

customs we are still very ignorant. It has. only been about thirty years since 
foreigners were allowed in the country. In the first place, you may examine 
this picture of Tientsin at the mouth of the Pei-ho River. You notice the 
river emptying into the Yellow Sea (speaking more especially to Burt, who 
pointed it out to the rest). The capital of China, Pekiu, is situated on that 



river. 



"What kind of boats are those, uncle?" inquired Nettie. 

' They are what are called junks. I believe I have a picture of one 
under full sail. Yes, here it is. They are rather clumsy things and the 
sails are made of matting, so they cannot handle them very well. Now, 



322 



SCENES ABROAD. 



suppose we had landed at Tientsin, we would find any number of funny 
things to talk about. Their customs are exactly the reverse of ours in many 
ways. I have here a little extract from a book ; the author is supposed to 
note some of his first impressions, and, as Ida reads it, you notice in how 
many little ways their customs differ from ours. The writer is supposed to 
be just getting into the port of Macao : 

** On inquiring of the boatman in which direction Macao lay, I was 

answered 'in the west-north,^ the 
wind being, as I was informed, 
in the cast-south. We do not 
say so in Europe, thought I. But 
imagine my surprise, when, in 
explaining the utilit}- of the 
compass, the boatman added that 
'the needle pointed to the south.'' 
Desirous to change the subject, 
I remarked that I concluded he 
was'about to proceed to some high 
festival or merry-making, as his 
dress was completely ivhitc. He 
told me, with a look of much 
dejection, that his only brother 
had died the week before, and 
that he was in the deepest mourn- 
ing for him. On my landing, 
the first object that attracted my 
attention was a military man- 
darin, who wore an embroidered 
petticoat with a string of beads around his neck, and who, besides, carried a 
fan ; and it was with some dismay that I observed him mount on the right 
side of his horse." 

At this point Uncle George interrupted the reading to show them the 
picture of a Chinese mandarin, after which Ida continued: 

"At that moment my attention was drawn to several old Chinese, some 
of whom had gray beards, and nearly all of them huge goggling spectacles. 
A few of them were chirruping and chuckling to singing birds which they 




A MANDARIN. 




324 



STREET IN CHINA 



EASTERiN ASIA. 



125 



carried in bamboo cages or perched on a stick; others were catching flies to 
feed the birds ; the remainder of the party seemed to be delightedly employed 
in flying paper kites, while a gronp of boys were gravely looking on and re- 
garding these innocent occupations of their seniors with the most serious 
and gratified attention." 

There was a general laugh at this point. Henry didn't believe that he 
would look quietly on while his papa played with a kite. Ida then read the 
few remaining lines : " The next morning found me provided with a Chinese 
master, who happily understood English. He commenced by saying, ' When 
you receive a distinguished guest, do not fail to place him on the left hand, 
for that is the seat of honor; and be cautious not to uncover the head, as it 
would be an unbecoming act o{ faviiliarity.'' Hardly prepared for this blow 
to my established notions, I requested he would discourse of their philosophy. 
He opened the volume and read with becoming gravity, ' The most learned 
men are decidedly of the opinion that the seat of the human understanding 
is the stomach.'' " . 

" That account," added Uncle George, as Ida ceased reading, " is, of 
course, more or less a fancy one. But you will hear funny expressions. They 
are inquisitive, and are apt to ask such questions as 'Are your venerable 
parents living?' or, 'What is your sublime belief?' or, 'What is your honor- 
able age?' or, 'What is your distinguished name?' If you happen to notice 
a Chinaman with a little boy of whom he is evidently very proud, yo^x will 
hear him calling it 'little stupid,' or 'vagabond,' or some such a name as that. 
But in this case their object is to fool the evil spirit. They believe if they 
can only make him think they care nothing for the child he will not molest 
it. But we must hurry on. Here is a street scene in a Chinese city." 

*' Why, how narrow it is !" said Nettie, referring to the street. 

" Indeed, it seems so to us. Willie, here are a few extracts about street 
scenes in China ; read them for us, please." 

"The traveler," read Willie, "as he passes along the street, finds that 
even the widest and busiest are narrower than our ordinary lanes. Stretch 
out your arms and reflect that in so doing, in an ordinary Chinese town, you 
w^ould generally be able to touch the counters of the shops on both sides of 
the way. Thc}^ have no sidewalks, and are paved with irregular stone slabs. 
A pretty vista of bright coloring meets our eyes, formed by the sign boards, 
which hang down perpendicularly from the eaves." (Here Burt silently 



326 



SCENEvS ABROAD. 



pointed to tliem in the picture.) " Many of them are eight or ten feet long, 
and are nicely varnished and inscribed with some high-flown epithet which 
has been chosen by the owner instead of his name. We meet with a furrier's 
shop bearing the title, 'Virtuous and Abundant;' or a cloth store called 
'Celestial Advantage.' An undertaker had chosen the title of 'United and 
Prosperous,' and a coal merchant called his premises by the high-sounding 




«^;:m; 






-^^^/^-fST^'""' 






OFFICIAL IN HIS PALANQUIN. 

name of 'Heavenly Adornment.' And here are the names of some of the 
streets themselves— ' Lane of Filial Piety,' 'Court of Eternal Harmony,' 
* Street of Heavenly Treasures.' " 

" The street looks as if it had a roof over it," observed Burt. 

" That is a sort of frame work of bamboo, and in summer time mats are 
hung thereon to protect from the sun. Now notice this picture of an official 
chair, and let Willie continue his reading." 



i 



EASTERN ASIA. 



327 



"No carts or carriages are seen iu Chinese streets, but sedan chairs are 
in constant use; varj'ing in size and appearance from the official's roomy and 
elaborately decorated conveyance to the fragile bamboo erections waiting for 
hire on the corners of the street. The official sits at ease in his richly deco- 
rated sedan chair. He wears handsome robes of satin, and an expression of 
impassive superiority rests upon his solemn countenance. At the head of, 





W^:^^^^^^^^<^^^M^>^^M<^yM^iM^M/mMm^^^ ' 



M'li iniwi MMJ.^inil vm 




TSIEN MEN GATE. 



the procession are small boys with large painted boards, on which are some, 
such expressions as ' Stand aside;' or, 'Let there be respectful silence.' " 

"Ain't there any big nice houses and wide streets in Pekin?" asked Ida. 

"Certainly; I was just going to speak about them. Pekin is really a 
double city. The southern and larger part is the Chinese city proper. To 
the north of it is the Tartar City. Here is a gate leading from one to the 



328 



SCENES ABROAD. 



Other. You must understand that the ruling dynasty in China is Tartar. 
They conquered China some 200 years ago ; and, by the way, the queue or 
pig- tail of which the Chinese are now so proud, is said to have been in the 
first place a sign of conquest. The Chinese are said to have been compelled 
to wear it by their Tartar conquerors. But, be that as it may, going through 
that gate we would find ourselves in the Tartar City with much wider streets. 
But within the Tartar City there is another subdivision set off by walls, in 
which are the palaces of the great chiefs, parks and pleasure grounds ; and, 




THE IMPERIAL CITY. 

finally, within that still a thirS subdivision, shown in this cut. This is 
called the 'Red' or 'Prohibited City,' and is exclusively set apart for the 
Emperor and his court." 

" Don't the boys play any games?" asked Henry, keeping in mind what 
Ida read about the boys looking on while the old men flew kites. 

" Oh, yes, of course;" said Uncle George, " that extract was overdrawn. 
Boys will be boys even in China ; though the whole aim of education is to 
make them sober and sedate, they fly kites as well as the older people, play 
with balls, play blind man's buff", and have great sport in turning the dragon." 



EASTERN ASIA. 



329 



"What is that?" inquired Henry. 

"The boys make a great frame of bamboo thirty or forty feet long with 
a great gaping head and long tail. They cover it with red paper and arrange 
a great lot of lanterns inside ; then they fasten long poles to it, light it up, 
and carry it through the street. They enjoy it immensely, I assure you." 
' " How about the schools, uncle?" inquired Willie. 

"Well, the boys have to com- 
mence going to school when they 
are six years old. By the b}', I 
have a picture of a Chinese school- 
master here. What do 3'ou think 
of him?" 

" I don't think I would like 
him," candidh" replied Henry; and 
it is safe to sa}' the majority of 
boys and girls in America would 
not be attracted to him. But, on 
the other hand, we must under- 
stand that the Chinese are natur- 
all}^ very grave and dignified, and 
the picture is probably not a true 
one in that respect. The}^ are 
also ver}' fond of children. The 
little fellows are sure to be neat 
and clean ; their big flowing sleeves 
serve them as pockets, and their 
boyish nature 'can not be wholly 
repressed. However, bo}-? are the 
onh' ones considered worth while 
educating; the girls are left to 
grow up in ignorance, or a little training at home is considered amply 
sufficient." 

"What do they study?" asked Ida. 

" Well, the little fellows spend their time in learning to make and pro- 
nounce the funny looking characters of their language. The teacher reads 
a few lines, and the scholars, with primer in hand, follow the pronunciation. 




CHINESE SCHOOLMASTER. 



SCENES ABROAD. 



In order to be sure that each scholar is studying, he is expected to study out 
loud ; so you see a school-room is a pretty noisy thing. When a scholar 
recites, he turns his back on the teacher." 

" But what do they learn about?" queried Burt. 

" Chinese learning is the driest and most superficial thing in the world. 
It would take too long to tell you about it. They study the writings of 
Confucius, who lived some centuries before Christ. It is simply learning 
good morals ; there is no science in it. Whenever you hear about learning 




CHINESE SCHOLAR. 

in China, it is simply a memorizing of Confucius. But such as it is, it is 
made the basis of all examination for state purposes. All officers, all man- 
darins, have to pass an examination. Here, by the way, is a picture of one 
of these learned Chinese." 

"Don't they learn anything about the rest of the world?" asked Willie. 

"Of late years the ruling people begin to have clearer ideas of the out- 
side world. But the general impression in China is that the rest of the 
world is only composed of a few islands off the coast, and that the people all 



EASTERN ASIA. 



331 



pay homage to China. In a late edition of the Pekin Gazette we read about 
the ' Western nations yielding obedience and returning to a state of peace.' 
And, to further show you how superstitious the mass of the people must be, 
I will say that only a 3^ear or so ago the most powerful and best informed 
man in China, Li Hung Chang, the celebrated vicero}', might have been seen 




BUDDHIST TEMPLE, CHINA. 

prostrate before a little water snake, hoping by this act of homage to put an 
end to the floods in Northern China." 

"What funny beliefs!" exclaimed Ida. 

"They seem to us very strange, don't they? But now a word about the 

religion of China. But first look at this picture of a Chinese temple. In 

addition to the innumerable superstitious ideas of the Chinese and their 

worship of the spirits of the dead, they have three systems of religion— Con- 

20 



332 



SCENES ABROAD. 



fucianisin, Taouism, and Buddhism. I guess I will not take time to explain 
about these systems, but I hope you will look them up. Now we must be 
passing on from China ; however big China may be, it is only a small part of 
Asia. But, before leaving China, I want to show you a view of Hong Kong. 
Few know that England has an island in the harbor of Canton, on which is 
a city under English control. But that is true of Hong Kong. You might 




IIONG KONG. 



tell b}^ the looks of the houses that it was not a Chinese town. However, 
the majority of the people are Chinese. The next country that I want to 
talk about is India. Now, as you can see on the map, to go from China to 
India by water we have a long voyage before us, and we have to pass a good 
many places of interest. But I think India will furnish us enough to talk 
about the remainder of the evening. India, as you know, is a part of the 
British Empire. It is as large as all of Europe, not counting Russia; it 



EASTERN ASIA. 335 

contains a population of over 200,000,000; there are more than twenty 
different languages, and a multitude of religions. So you eau see what an 
interesting section of country this must be. I am going to show you first a 
view in Calcutta. Point out the city on the map, Burt." 

After Burt had fouud it on the map, and they had noticed its location, 
Uncle George continued : 

"You notice the name of the picture is ' The Maidan.' This is the most 
beautiful part of the city. It is a great park beautifully laid out in walks 
and drives; and there, early in the morning and in the cool of the evening, 
the city people go for the sake of the cool air. I doubt if there is another 
place in the world where as great a variety of people can be seen. There 
are representatives of the innumerable people of India and of all the world 
besides, and all sorts of equipages from palanquins to the finest coaches of 
European make." 

"Ain't there something about a famous ' hole' in Calcutta?" a.sked Burt, 
rather doubtfully. 

"You are thinking of the 'Black Hole,' I guess. IMore than 130 years 
ago, after the Bnglish had begun to get a good footing in India, an attempt 
was made by the Prince of Bengal to drive them out. He took Calcutta, and 
put 146 prisoners in a room partly underground with almost no ventilation; 
only twenty-three of them lived till morning. You must read that up in 
some good history. To change the subject, let Ida read us this account of 
the scenes along another prominent street in Calcutta." 

Taking the book, Ida read the following account about the curious sights 
to be seen along the Strand in Calcutta: " Every inhabitant of the city, 
rich or poor, seems to have rigged up some sort of a turn-out and taken his 
place with his fellows. Some of the groups are ver}^ picturesque, and some 
irresistibly comic. The coachmen in their native costumes, their long beards 
streaming in the wind; the ladies in their gay dresses, only outshone by the 
picturesque attire of some native prince dashing along at full speed accom- 
panied by fleet-footed syces. These syces, or Mussulmen grooms, accompany 
every carriage, and, it is said, will often surpass the horses they accompany 
in endurance. The natives vie with the Europeans in displaying neat turn- 
outs ; some of the native merchants expend fortunes on their stable appoint- 
ments and equipages." 

"That is quite good," said Uncle George as Ida ceased reading. " And 



336 



SCENES ABROAD. 



now I will show you a view of this Strand. As I said, it is the name of a 
street stretching north from the Maidan. It borders the river bank, and you 
notice the shipping in the river. A large majority of the people of India 
are Hindoos, and the Hindoos belong to the same great division of the white 
race that we do ; that is, they are Aryans. Now it is supposed that these 
Aryan Hindoos entered India as early as 2,000 years before Christ, but they 




ALONG THE STRAND, CALCUTTA. 

have become greatly intermixed with the people they found in India ; this 
accounts for a great many curious things we find in their customs. Nearly 
900 years ago, about the time that William the Norman conquered England, 
the Mohammedans invaded India, and established themselves in Northern 
India. So in the cities of Northern India we find the most interesting ruins 
in the country. India, being an English possession, of course there are 




338 



GATE OF AI,A UDEEN, KOOTUB. 



EASTKRN ASIA. 



339 



railroads. Wc will suppose we have gone directly from Calcutta to Delhi in 

the northern part of Hindoostan, the seat of power in the days of Moham- 
medan rule. The first view I am going to show you is the most beautiful 

spire or minaret in the world. 

It is some eleven miles from 

the present city of Delhi. 

It is one of the minarets of 

a mosque. The mosque was 

never quite completed. The 

shaft is nearl}' 250 feet high ; 

it is built part of the way in 

red sandstone, and part of 

the way in marble. You see 

the shaft tapers regularly to 
the top. It is divided into 
five stories, around each of 
which runs a bold, projecting 
balcony supported upon 
large and richly carved 
brackets, having balustrades 
that give it a most orna- 
mental eiFect." 

" Is it hollow — can people 
go up to the top?" asked 
Henry. 

Oh, yes; there is a spiral 
Stairway of 376 steps leading 
to the top. Once an insane 
man threw himself from the 
top and was dashed to pieces 
at the bottom. Now, here 
we have another view from 

this same mosque, one of the great arched gateways leading into the mosque. 
The Kootub mosque is now deserted, but this noble portal still stands. 
Remember that six centuries have passed, vet the ornaments on that arched 
gateway, some sixty feet high, still retain their clear, sharp outline. The 




THE KOOTUB. 



340 



SCENES ABROAD, 



next picture is the celebrated Throne Room of their palace. You must 
understand, however, that all this has been changed since what is known as 




THRONE KOOM AT DELHI. 



the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857. Let Willie read us this account of this 
famous hall." 

Willie read the following account : "This imperial hall was a gorgeous 



EASTERN ASIA. 34 1 

accessory of the Palace of Delhi. The front opened on a large quadrangle, 
and the whole stood in what was once a garden, extremely rich and beautiful. 
The pavilion rested on an elevated terrace, and was formed entirely of white 
marble. It was 150 feet long and forty in breadth, having a graceful cupola 
at each angle. The roof was supported on colonnades of marble pillars. The 
solid and polished marble had been worked into its forms with as much 
delicacy as though it had been wax, and its whole surface — pillars, arches, and 
even the pavements — was inlaid with the richest, most profuse, and exquisite 
designs in foliage and arabesque, the fruits and flowers being represented in 
sections of gems, such as amethysts, carnelian, blood-stone, garnet, topaz, 
lapis lazuli, green serpentine, and various colored crystals. A bordering 
ran round the walls and columns similarly decorated, inlaid with inscriptions 
in Arabic from the Koran. The whole had the appearance of some rich 
work from the loom, in which a brilliant pattern is woven on a pure white 
ground — the tracery of rare and cunning artists." 

"And I might add to that," said Uncle George as Willie concluded, 
" that in that hall once stood the famous peacock throne — a throne most 
marvelously constructed of gold, silver, and precious stones, and worth an 
almost fabulous sum." 

" What became of it ?" asked Burt. 

"It was carried off b}- invading Persians 150 3'ears ago, and was after- 
wards broken up. But we must not sta}^ longer in Delhi. A little more 
than 100 miles to the southeast of Delhi is the City of Agra. Akbar the 
Great, one of the Alongol kings, made it his capital in the sixteenth centur}^, 
and here are some of the very finest ruins in India. It is scarcel}- proper to 
speak of them as ruins, however ; they still exist to astonish us with their 
magnificence." 

" Didn't you show us some pictures something like these in some other 
places?" inquired Nettie. " I am sure you did, but I cannot just remember 
where," she added. 

" I think if you were to recall the Alhambra in Spain, v'ou would notice 
that it made you think of that. And there is a very good reason for this. 
Both were built b\- Mohammedans ; both are specimens of Saracenic archi- 
tecture. Delhi itself is not a very large or important place now, but onh' a 
few 3'ears ago it was still the capital of the Alongol power in India. I will 
first call vour attention to the mausoleum or tomb of Akbar the Great, 



342 



SCENES ABROAD. 



That is said to be the grandest tomb in the world ; not the most beautiful, 
but the grandest. It is 300 feet square, and built in five stories — each story 
forming a sort of terrace for the one above. The lower stories are built of 
red sandstone ; the topmost one is of marble. You must understand that 
many acres of ground around this mausoleum are beautifully laid out, and 
there is a grand entrance and gateway." 




MAUSOLKUM OF AKBAR THE GREAT. 

" He must have been pretty rich if he could build such a tomb as that," 
said Henry. 

"These Mohammedan conquerors ground every cent out of their subject 
provinces that they could. The carpets of Akbar's palaces were silk and 
gold ; the hangings on the walls, velvet and pearls ; the crown that he wore 
on his head is estimated as worth about $10,000,000 of our money. One 



EASTERN ASIA. 



343 



of the customs was once each year to distribute among the people the weight of 
the Emperor in gold, then in silver, then in perfumes, and so on twelve times." 
Henry and the rest of the club were fully satisfied from these statements 
that Akbar was undoubtedly rich. 




MAUSOLEUM OF ET-MAD-OD-DOULAH. 



" I have still another view of a mausoleum near Agra. This is the tomb 
of Chaja Aias, the high treasurer of Akbar. It is generally known by his 
title, Et-mad-od-doulah. It was built by his daughter, the famous Noor 



344 SCENES ABROAD. 

Jehan, tlie wife of the celebrated Jehaugeer, son and successor of Akbar. By 
the way, this queen is the ' Nourmahal ' of Moore's poem, ' The Light of the 
Harem." She certainly exerted a wonderful influence over her husband. 
Let Ida read us a little account of this tomb." 

With the beautiful picture before them, the club listened while Ida read 
the following description . " The building, rising from a broad platform, is 
of white marble of quadrangular shape, flanked by octagonal towers, which 
are surmounted by cupolas on a series of open columns. Interiorly and ex- 
teriorly this fairy pile is covered as with beautiful lace by lattice work deli- 
cately wrought in marble, covered with foliage and flowers and intermingled 
with scrolls bearing passages from the Koran. Every portion of the mauso- 
leum is thus enriched, and all that wealth could furnish, or Oriental luxury 
suggest, or genius execute in the completion of the structure, was devoted to 
its adornment. Each slab of white marble is wrought in rich tracery in the 
most delicate manner, pierced through and through so as to be the same 
when seen from either side ; the pattern of each slab differs from the next 
one, and the rich variety, as well as beauty of designs, fixes the attention of 
the beholder in amazement at the taste and patient skill that could originate 
and execute this vision of beauty which seems like an imagination rising 
before the fancy, and then, by some wondrous wand of power, transmuted 
into a solid form forever — to be touched, and examined, and admired. 
According to the usage of the Mongols, a lovely garden was planted around 
the fair shrine, and ample provisions made for its care and preservation in 
the future. Rare and costly trees, fragrant evergreens, shady walks, and 
tanks and fountains, all added their charm to set off the central pile." 

" Having now shown you these two beautiful tombs," resumed Mr. 
Adams as Ida concluded, "you will be surprised to hear me say that lam 
now going to show the most beautiful tomb in the world. It is the celebrated 
Taj-Mahal. It is about six miles from Agra. It is a mausoleum built for 
the Empress Moomtaj-i-Mahal, wife of Shah-Jehan. He was the son and 
successor of Jehangeer, and she was niece of Noor Jehan. Moonitaj-i-Mahal 
means 'Pride of the Palace;' Taj-Mahal then is simply the last syllable of 
her name united with the word palace. I will first show you a general view 
of the grounds themselves. As 3'ou might judge from the picture, they are 
laid out with beautiful taste. The paths are paved with slabs of freestone 
arrancred in all sorts of curious wavs. The central avenue leads directly 



'&■ 



> 
o 

o 

« 

a 
> 



it* 




EASTERN ASIA. 



347 



from the gate to the Taj-Mahal. It is lined with fountains — eighty-four 
in number; michvay there is a marble reservoir fort}- feet square, and 
this has five fountains — one on each corner and one in the middle. There 
are rows of dark Italian cypresses facing the main walk, but there are a 
great many trees, or rather groves, fruit trees, the palm, banyan, and graceful 
bamboo. There are also great beds of beautiful flo\vers, so that the air is 
loaded with perfume from the banks of roses, from the orange, lemon, and 




THE GARDEN GATE, TAJ-MAHAL. 

the sweet-scented tamarind tree. Tropical birds are singing in the groves, 
and, just outside the wall, the beautiful Jumna River is placidly flowing by. 
Such are the approaches to this beautiful tomb. I see that ni}- next view," 
resumed Uncle George after the children had expressed their admiration of 
the beautiful grounds, " is that of the gateway opening into them." 

" Is that onl}^ a gate?" exclaimed Henr3\ 

"That is what it is used for, Henrj^; but it is one of the most superb 
gates in existence. It is large enough and fine enough to be called a palace. 



348 SCENES ABROAD. 

It is built of red sandstone, but inlaid witli ornaments, and lias texts from 
the Koran inscribed on white marble." 

"What is the Koran, uncle?" asked Henry. 

"I should have explained before that the Koran is the sacred book of 
the Mohammedans. It is their Bible. You notice the arched wall running 
away to one side ? It surrounds the entire garden. Now, finally, I am going 
to show you the tomb itself, but no picture can do justice to the tomb. It is 
almost impossible to describe it, but I will make the attempt. The mauso- 
leum itself, the terrace on which it stands, and the minarets are all formed of 
the finest white marble inlaid with precious stones ; the dome is seventy feet 
in diameter; the height of the Taj, from the terrace to the tip of the golden 
spire, is 275 feet. It is asserted that the whole of the Koran is inlaid upon 
the building, the letters being beautifully formed in black marble on the out- 
side, and in precious stones within. Entering the building, in the rotunda 
you see the beautiful sarcophagi of the Empress and Emperor, his being much 
the plainer of the two. But the bodies themselves are in two other sarcoph- 
agi in the vaults below. You must try and imagine the scene. Above is 
the lofty dome far up in the distance ; the floor is of polished marble and 
jasper, ornamented with a wainscotting of sculptured marble tablets inlaid 
with flowers formed of precious stones ; around are windows or screens of 
marble filigree richly wrought in various patterns, which admit a faint and 
delicate illumination ; in the center are the tombs surrounded by a magnifi- 
cent octagonal screen, about six feet high, with doors on the sides; the open 
tracery in this white marble screen is wrought into beautiful flowers, such as 
lilies, irises, and others, and the borders of the screen are inlaid with precious 
stones representing flowers, executed wdth such wonderful perfection that 
the forms seem to wave as in nature, and the shades of the stems, leaves, and 
flowers appear as real almost as the beauties they represent. Then the tomb 
of the Moomtaj is singularly beautified ; the snow white marble is inlaid 
with flowers so delicately formed that they look like embrodiery on white 
satin, so exquisitely is the mosaic executed in carnelian, bloodstone, agate, 
jasper, turquois, lapis lazuli, and other precious stones. Some of these 
flowers are formed of no less than eighty different stones, polished uniform 
with the marble into which they are so delicately inserted that you can 
hardly trace their joinings. Thirty-five different specimens of carnelian are 
employed in forming a single leaf of a carnation ; and in one flower not 



EASTERN ASIA. 351 

larger than a silver dollar, twenty-three different stones can be counted. 
Yet what I have described can only give you an idea of the beauties spread 
in profusion over this entire chamber." 

There was a moment's silence as Uncle George concluded. The club 
hardly knew what to say — mere expressions of admiration seemed out of place. 
Finally Henry ventured the assertion that " it must have cost a lot of money." 

"Yes, indeed," said Uncle George; "it has been estimated that at the 
present day 150,000,000 would hardly replace it. But we must leave 
Agra with its splendid tombs. The IMohammedau conquerors of India have 
in their turn been overthrown ; but, after all, the vast masses of India have 
changed but little. At the present day advance is beginning to slowly take 
place." 

" I have read considerable about the strange religious beliefs in India," 
said Burt. 

" I am glad to hear that," replied Uncle George, "it is an interesting field. 
But I will not attempt to say an3'thing about that to-night. I might say 
that India was the birthplace of Buddhism. Probably more people profess 
Buddhism than any other religion. But Christianit}' will soon overtake it, 
if it has not done so alreadj^" 

"Do they believe that Buddha was a god?" asked Henry. 

" No, Buddha made no claims to be divine ; but the time is far too short 
to explain about this religion. Buddhism has mainly disappeared from India 
now, and the old religion of the land, Brahmanism, has regained control. 
Now there is a great deal that w^e might talk about in India, but 3"ou see it 
is getting late, and perhaps we had better not go further. And, children," 
continued Uncle George, "our next meeting will be the last for the present. 
An old traveler, you know, does not like to settle down. I am going to 
spend the balance of this year in traveling in the West and in South America. 
I thought we could not better emplo}^ our last evening than to talk about 
Palestine. To the Christian believer there is no more interesting country. I 
look forward with a great deal of interest to that evening." 

"And say, uncle," said Henr}^, "is Burt going with you, for sure?" 

"I believe that is the talk, Henry," said his uncle with a laugh, "but 
you must ask Burt." 



1.52 



SCENES ABROAD. 



CHAPTER IX. 




The Holy Land. 



TIME once more came for the gathering of the clnb, and 
this meeting was to be the last for the year. Uncle George 
was not going away for some weeks, but then it was getting 
late in the spring, the evenings were growing short, and 
so, as already announced, Uncle George had decided to 
make this the last meeting. Probably influenced by this fact, he 
'^^ had made considerable preparation to entertain the club with a 
little account of Bible lands and scenes. So when the children once more 
gathered at grandpa's, they found everything ready for them. Uncle George's 
smile was just as bright as on the first night, and Aunt Mary's welcome ^vas 
just as warm. We are not sure but the members of the club, by way of 
atoning for past neglect, looked up with more care some of the points of 
interest in Palestine. Be that as it may, the children gathered with quite a 
satisfied feeling around the library table ready for Uncle George to begin 
his evening's talk; and, as Uncle George was waiting for them, the trip soon 
commenced. 

"Travelers in the Holy Land," began Uncle George, "nearly always 
take a preliminary trip in Egypt, because it is quite convenient to go through 
Egypt on our way to Palestine ; and then, besides, you know Egypt is quite 
intimately connected with Palestine, and has a good deal to do with Bible 
history. Still we will not stop there long. We read in the Bible how Joseph 
rose to be governor in Egypt. That meant a great deal of power, for the 
rulers of Egypt did about as they wanted to. It is generally supposed that 
the mass of ordinary people were little better than slaves. I have here a cut 
which illustrates that. You see the people are driven to their work with 
whips." 

"What is that thing they are drawing?" inquired Henry. 

" Some immense sculptured stone. Now, of course, you are not to 



THE HOLY LAND. 



355 



understand that Joseph ever superintended such work as that, hut it will give 
you an idea of the power of Egyptian rulers. The Bible does not say very 
much about Egypt. The children of Israel are supposed to have been con- 
fined in the Delta of the Nile. Perhaps that is the reason why the pyramids 
are not mentioned; they were certainly in existence at that time." 

" Don't we see the pyramids in that picture?" inquired Ida. 

"Yes; only there was quite a large number of pyramids along the Nile, 
so the ones shown in this cut may not be the ones we mean when wc talk 
about the pyramids. I have here a view of the pyramids near Cairo. Now, 




VIEW OF THE GREAT PYRAMID AND VICINITY. 

as I remarked, IMoses must often have gazed on these pyramids, and it is 

really strange that he does not mention them. But, of course, the Bible was 

not intended to satisfy our curiosity on these points." 

" Uncle, w^hat do you think they built the pyramids for?" asked Burt. -^ 
" There have been all sorts of theories on that point, but of late years 

we have come very generally to the idea that they are simply the tombs of 

the various Pharaohs of Egypt." 

"Pharaoh is mentioned in the Bible, ain't he?" said Henry with quite a 

satisfied air. 



356 



SCENES ABROAD. 



"The word Pharaoli, Henry, was simply their word for the ruler of 
E^gypt ; like president, king, or emperor. The Bible speaks of several 
different Pharaohs. The one that was probably ruling Avhen the. children of 
Israel were so cruelly oppressed is thought to be the one known in history as 
Rameses II. And, by the way, that makes nie think of a most interesting 
discovery made but a few years ago ; the veritable body of this king was 
found, and I have somewhere a photograph of the present appearance of the 
upper part of the body. Yes, here it is. How interesting it is to be able to 

look at the identical features of this 
celebrated Pharaoh who lived more 
than 3,000 years ago, and esiDCcially 
when we think that he was probabl}- 
the one who severel}' oppressed the 
children of Israel." 

" Why, I thought that he Mas 
drowned in the Red Sea," said 
Nettie. 

"It is generally supposed that 
the Exodus took place in the reign 
of his son Menephthah, but you 
must bear in mind that the Bible 
does not say that Pharaoh himself 
was drowned. In fact, the tomb of 
Menephthah has been found, but 
not his bod3\ Though the Israelites 
were in Egypt a long while, the 
religious ideas of the Eg3'ptians 
made but little impression on them. 
The worship of the golden calf is supposed to be largely owing to Egyptian 
influence, however. I might say that the Egyptians were noted for the 
Enormous temples they built. The most imposing ruins in Egypt to-day 
are those of their temples. Here, for instance, is a view of the ruins of the 
Temple of Karnak. That was at ancient Thebes in Upper Egypt." 

"Those big stones," said Henry, pointing to the pillars, "are all covered 
with pictures, ain't they?" 

" Yes ; and those strange looking pictures are called hieroglyphics, and 




MUMMY OF KAMKSKS II. 




THE HALLS IN THE TEMPLE OF KARNAK. 



357 



THE HOLY LAND. 



359 



our scholars have learned to read them, and by their means we now know 
considerable about ancient Egyptian history. They don't look much like 
our alphabet, do they? But we must not stay long in Egypt, for we must 
hurry on to Palestine. You remember from the Bible that after the Israelites 




CONVENT OF JIT. SINAI. 



had crossed the Red Sea, the next important stopping point was ]Mt. Sinai, 
well down in the Arabian Peninsula. Of course, ^Nlt. Sinai, as being the 
place where the Law^ was given, has always been regarded with a great deal 
of reverence. The Greek Church built a convent there in the sixth century, 
and I have a view of it shown here. That, of course, is an interesting spot, 



360 



SCENES ABROAD. 



but then they draw on our credulity considerable by insisting that the convent 
stands just where Moses saw the burning bush, and there is a magnificently 
fitted up chapel asserted to be on the spot where the bush stood." 

" Didn't you tell us something about the Greek Church wheu we were 
talking about Russia?" asked Nettie. ' 

"Yes; you remember I pointed out the difference between the Greek 
Church and the Catholic Church proper. One of the most interesting items I 
know of concerning that lonely convent," continued Uncle George, " is that 
the celebrated traveler, Tischendorf, found there one of the very oldest copies 




HEBRON. 



•of the New Testament in existence. It is a manuscript copy written in the 
third century; there are only two manuscripts as old as this." 

"You say he found it there; didn't they know it was thefe before?" 
asked Burt. 

" No ; the monks were utterly ignorant of its existence. Probably some 
centuries had passed since they had examined it. But now we will go on to 
Palestine proper. You see that lies quite a good ways to the north and a 
little to the east of Mt. Sinai. Now, probably one of the most interesting 
localities in all southern Palestine is Hebron. I have, as you see, a view of 
Hebron, and especially the mosque situated in the town. This, of course, is 



THE HOLY LAND. 



361 



a modern view and trustworthy. When you look at that picture, you must 
reflect that here was the home of Abraham ; the majority of the incidents of 
his life, as recorded in Genesis, are centered around that place. The cave of 
Machpelah, where lie himself was laid to rest, and where Isaac and Rebecca, 
and Jacob and Leah were also buried, is supposed by many to be under the 
dome of that mosque." 

"Is that true?" asked Burt. " I mean is that really the place — are there 
any bodies there?" he added. 




JERUSALEM IN THE TIJIE OF CHRIST. 

"Well, as for that," replied Uncle George, "I can only say that the 
place appears to be very satisfactorily identified with ancient Hebron ; that it 
has always been regarded as a sacred place, and has always been carefully 
guarded. But it has never been explored by competent parties, and, if it 
were, probably no bodies would be found. Leaving Hebron, we may as well 
go directly to Jerusalem. I have a view of Jerusalem which I want you to 
examine. That is supposed to represent the city at the time of Christ." 

"That is a nice looking building?" said Henry, pointing to the temple. 



362 



SCENES ABROAD. 



"Yes; that is tlie temple. Not Solomon's Temple, for that has been 
destroyed long before. Now, of course, in talking about Jerusalem, there are 
many interesting things to mention. This was the City of David ; this was 
the city that Solomon adorned ; it was here that many of the prophets and 
heroes of the Old Testament lived and wrote; this was the city that had to 
withstand sieges from Egyptians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans. And, finally, 
this was that city that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus of Nazareth, loved — in 
which he performed many notable deeds, and which was the scene of his cruel 
death. If we were to visit Jerusalem to-day, we would undoubtedly be very 
much disappointed in the appearance of the city. It is not an imposing city. 




SOLOMON'S TEMPLE. 

Its Streets are narrow, crooked, and dirty. It reached its zenith of grandeur 
and power under the reign of Solomon. He it was, as you know, who built 
the magnificent temple described in the Bible. A great many attempts have 
been made to picture forth the glories of this temple, but this cannot be done. 
I have a picture of it here which may help us a little. But if we do not know 
much about the temple, we do know where it stood — the place that Henry 
pointed out in the view of Jerusalem. Ida may read this account of this 
spot." Saying which, Uncle George handed Ida a book with a marked passage. 
Ida read the following account: "This area is the most interesting 
spot in the whole world, sacred alike to Jew, to Moslem, and to Christian; 



I 




CHRIST DISPUTING IN THE TEMPLE 



THE HOI.Y LAND. 365 

for here it was that Omar had his threshing floor ; that Abraham offered up 
his son Isaac; that David prayed for the plague-stricken people. Here it 
was that Solomon reared that ' holy and beautiful house,' the Temple of the 
Lord, wherein were the holy of holies, the ark, the mercy-seat, and all the 
poetical symbols of the worship of Israel ; here Zerubbabel reared the sacred 
temple after that of Solomon had been destroyed ; and here was erected by 
Herod that gorgeous temple into which our Lord so frequently came, where 
His gracious words were spoken and many of His wondrous deeds wrought. 
To this spot Mohammed came ; and here was built the so-called Mosque of 
Omar." 

At this point Uncle George called their attention to the view he had of 
this famous mosque, 
and then Ida finished ' . 

reading the account. ^-,«4(«w - 

was worshipped while ^^flPiS^^^^^^^^^' ' 

the Shekinah ; hither 
came up the tribes to 
the great annual feasts ; here came the One who in Himself fulfilled the 
types and shadows of the Law and instituted His church. From first to last, 
this was the center of the religious, the poetical, and political life of the Jewish 
nation. Every Jew regards this spot still as the most sacred upon earth ; 
every Christian regards it with reverential interest ; ' every Moslem looks 
upon it as the most holy place after Mecca." 

"But do they know all this to be true?" asked Burt, who seemed to be 
somewhat in doubt. 

'* The temple area itself has never been called in question," replied Uncle 
George, though there is a question as to the exact locality of the temple. 
But as for the many traditions connected with the spot, we can not decide. 
22 



MOSQUE OF OMAR. 



366 SCENES ABROAD, 

It is enough to know that this whole spot was familiar to Jesus ; that some- 
where in this contracted area stood the temple which he often visited ; in 
which, as a child, he had disputed with the learned doctors. Somewhere in 
this immediate vicinity he must have stood when he uttered his gracious 
invitation: ' If an}' man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.' There is 
another church at Jerusalem which is of equal interest with this mosque, 
though it is not as well identified. That is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. 
This is a great collection of chapels. It is owned by the Greek, Latin, Copt, 
and Syrian Churches ; that is to say, each of the churches has numerous 
chapels, and claims jurisdiction over various places of interest ; while Moham- 
medan authorities compel them all to keep the peace. If all that is claimed 
by these various bodies for the various places shown be true, we have here, 
collected within a very narrow compass and fully identified, the most interest- 
ing places in the world's history. The Greek Church even points out to you 
the place where the dust was taken to make Adam ! It is useless for us to 
consider whether there is any real support for the identification of these 
places. This is true, however, that millions of people believe what is here 
shown, and every year thousands of devout believers worship at these shrines ; 
and we can add further that the events supposed to have taken place at these 
shrines must have taken place somewhere in the near vicinitj^, for they are 
commemorative of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. You 
know in the New Testament we have told in simple language how he was 
crucified, buried, and rose again. Well, entering the church, you are first 
shown the stone of unction — supposed to be the stone on which the body of 
Jesus was placed to prepare it for burial. Immense lamps are kept burning 
over this stone all the time. A few paces further on, in a little railed in- 
closure, is shown a stone said to mark the exact spot where the mother of 
our Lord stood while the body was being prepared for burial. Now, I will 
not undertake to describe all the places shown in this church. They show 
you, for instance, where the cross is said to have stood ; they point out the 
cleft in the rocks caused by the earthquake, etc. In the rotunda itself we 
see the Chapel of the Resurrection, and the spot is pointed out where Jesus 
is said to have appeared to Mary Magdalen when he said, ' Woman, why 
weepest thou?' And we are shown where she stood when she, supposing 
him to be the gardener, said : ' Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me 
•where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.' 




CHRIST APPEARING TO MARY MAGDALENE. 



i 



THE HOLY LAND. 



369 



" In the rotunda, in which is placed the sepulcher of Christ itself, I have 
a cut of this room. You see a little marble chapel has been built around 
the tomb itself. It is a small chapel, twenty-six feet long b}' eighteen feet 
wide, and divided into two chambers. The first is called the vestibule or 
Angel's Chapel ; in the center rests a stone set in marble, said to be the one 
which the angel rolled away from the mouth of the tomb, and on which he 
afterwards sat. In this little chapel, only sixteen feet long by ten wide, 
fifteen splendid lamps are kept burning. A low doorway conducts to the 




HOLY SEPULCHER. 

second chamber, supposed to be the sepulcher itself. This is ver}' small, only 
six feet by seven, 3-et fort3'-three lamps are kept burning. The slab on 
which the body of our Lord rested, or rather is said to have rested, is much 
worn by the lips of adoring pilgrims. No one, be his faith what it may, 
can witness the scenes of passionate excitement, or gaze upon that slab which 
has been bathed with myriads of tears and kissed by countless lips, without 
emotion ; though there may be grave doubts in his mind whether this be the 
new sepulcher in which never man was laid, around which Roman soldiers 
watched after the crucifixion." 



Z7^ 



SCENES ABROAD. 



The club had been much interested in Uncle George's description of this 
famous church, and considerable conversation ensued in regard to it. 

"We must now," resumed Uncle George, "glance at some of the re- 
maining sights of Jerusalem. I have here a view of the Pool of Hezekiah. 
In all cities, but especially so in Oriental cities, a supply of water is of the 
very first importance. Hezekiah was one of the best kings of Judea, and we 
read in the Bible that he made a pool and conduit, and brought water into 
the city. It is quite possible that this is the very pool he constructed." 

" Is that the same as the Pool of Siloam?" inquired Nettie. 




POOL OF HEZEKIAH. 



" No ; that is a different pool altogether. By the way, a most interesting 
discovery has been made at the Pool of Siloam within the last few years. A 
very ancient inscription in the Hebrew language was discovered, which has 
cleared up quite a number of little points in the Old Testament notices of 
Jerusalem and its surroundings. It is a pleasure to know," added Uncle 
George after a moment's pause, " that the more carefully Palestine is investi- 
gated and studied scientifically, the more is Old Testament history confirmed. 



TIIK MOLY LAND. 



371 



Our next view is the Jews' Wailing Place. You have all heard of it, and, of 
course, seen many illustrations of it. This view will give you a good idea 
of its surroundings." 

"What are they all doing there?" spoke up Henry. 

" Well, that wall that you see is part of the foundation wall of the 
temple. They meet here to mourn over the present ruined state of their 
sanctuary and their nation. No matter what one's belief may be, he can not 
view the scene unmoved. The place is sacred with the tears of many 
generations. You may see them any day, but especially on Fridays and 




jews' wailing place. 

Jewnsh festival daj-s, putting their heads against the great foundation stones 
of the temple area, wailing out : ' O God ! the heathen are come into thine 
inheritance ; thy Holy Temple have they defiled ; they have laid Jerusalem 
on heaps. How long, Lord, wilt thou be angr}^ — forever?' Pity soon changes 
to respect before such evident sincerity." 

"What do they want?" asked Burt. 

" It was, and is, a doctrine among many of the Jews that thej' are ulti- 
mately to be restored to power, and that Jerusalem will again be the capital 
of their land. They hope to hasten this day by their penitence for past 



372 



SCENES ABROAD. 



wrongs. But let us pass on. Immediately opposite the city is the Mount 
of Olives. I have a view of it from the city walls. This spot is one of 
interest ; for some Biblical scholars think that the ascension of Christ took 
place from the summit." 

" That looks pretty hilly," exclaimed Henry, " and I don't think it is a 
very nice place," he added. 

But Uncle George said that all Southern Palestine was broken and 




MOUNT OF OLIVES. 

rugged, and not likely to impress us as a particularly fine country. In this 
respect the country improves as we go toward the north. 

''What are the buildings on the top?" asked Nettie, pointing to the 
buildings to be seen on the summit. 

"That is called the Church of the Ascension. It has no claim to 
antiquity. Within its chapel is pointed out the rock from which Christ is 
said to have ascended; but in this instance we need have no hesitation, I 
think, in deciding that tradition is at fault. Still, we need not feel contempt 



THK HOLY LAND. 



373 



for the place. Doubtless Christ and his apostles were often in this locality, 
and somewhere, not very distant, was the scene of the ascension. Leaving 
Jerusalem for the present, let us look at a view of Bethlehem." 

" There was where Christ was born," said Henry. 

"Yes; I knew you would all recall that fact. Bethlehem lies to the 
south and a little to the west of Jerusalem — only about five miles distant. 




MODERN BETHLEHEM. 



You all know that Palestine is a very hilh', broken countr}-. The town of 
Bethlehem is situated right on the crest of a hill. The people are noted for 
their good looks, and the}' are nearly all Christians. The traveler ^vill find 
numerous tradesmen who are anxious to sell him some relics. Of course, 
the great object of interest in Bethlehem is the Church and Cave of the 
Nativity. That is the place where tradition has it that Christ Mas born." 
'* Do they know the exact place, uncle?" asked Burt. 



374 



SCENES ABROAD. 



Uncle George could but smile to find Burt so inquisitive on these points. 

" About the only reply I can make to that question is, that, candidly, I do 
not know. Very strong and weighty reasons can be urged against it. But 
it also remains true that from the very earliest times tradition has connected 
this jcave with the place of his birth. A portion of the church built over this 
cave is claimed to have been built by the Empress Helena, and to be probably 
the oldest church in existence. Our main interest centers in the cave under- 










,^^t,-:/~ ,i*^W>! 






CAVE OF THE NATIVITY. 



neath the church, where, in a little grotto, is placed a silver star. Countless 
pilgrims believe that marks the very spot of his birth. You can see in the 
picture how the cave is adorned by hanging lamps." 

"At any rate, Jesus was born somewhere near here, and that may be the 
very spot," said Nettie. 

" Yes; that is true," replied Uncle George. " I might add that near 
here they show a field claimed to be the very one where shepherds watched 



THE HOLY LAND. 



375 



their flocks, but I presume no one regards the tradition of any value in this 
instance. One interesting incident about this town I must not forget to 
mention. Early in the fourth century, St. Jerome, one of the most illustrious 
names in the early church, came to Bethlehem to live. Here for more than 




DOWN TO JERICHO. 

thirty years, beside what he believed to be the very birthplace of Christ, he 
prayed, and fasted, and studied." 

•' What did he want to do that for?" inquired Henry. 

*' Deeply religious minds in all ages have felt like withdrawing from the 
world for study and reflection," replied Uncle George. "But now let us 
consider ourselves back to Jerusalem, and let us take a trip down to Jericho." 



376 



SCENES ABROAD. 



"That is the place where the walls fell down," said Henry. 

" And it is mentioned in the story of the Good Samaritan, too," added 
Nettie. "But why do they always say 'Down to Jericho,' " she continued. 

" It is almost all the way down hill," replied Uncle George to Nettie's, 
last question. " Jerusalem is almost the highest town in Palestine. Jericho, 
though only a few miles away, is in the valley of the Jordan, some 3,000 feet 
below. The way leading from Jerusalem past Bethany after leaving Bethany 




MODERN BETHANY. 



is along a precipitous gorge, and robbers always have infested the place. It 
is necessary at the present day to be on your guard, or you will still fall 
among thieves as in the parable. By the way, that tower in the picture is all 
that is left to show the site of ancient Jericho, though it does not go back to 
that early time." 

"Did you say we went past Bethany ?" inquired Burt. "Wasn't that 
where Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus lived?" 




ENTRY OF CHRIST INTO JERUSALEM. 



THK HOLY LAND. 



379 



"We can go past Bethany, though the more usual route is through 
Bethel. I have here a view of Bethany. The modern town of Bethany is a 
little mountain hamlet known at the present day as El-Lazarieh, deriving its 
name from the tomb of Lazarus. It must have been a quiet place of retreat 
at the time of Christ. Just such a place as he would naturally seek to be 
free from the bustle and confusion of Jerusalem. At the present day Bethany 
is surrounded by many pleasant gardens, and we know by its ruins that it 
was once a more important place than now. We ma}' also conclude from the 
gospel narrative that Martha and Alary must have been in good worldly 
circumstances. Besides being the place where resided those friends of Jesus 
whose house was always open for him, it has other attractions for us. Here 
was the scene of Christ's great miracle, the raising of Lazarus. We are able 
to trace with all reasonable certainty, for quite a distance at least, the ver}^ 
road from Jericho along which came Jesus with his band of disciples after 
the death and burial of Lazarus. From the location of the village he could 
be seen while quite a distance away, and thus the mourning sisters were 
apprised of his approach and could go forth to meet him. Of course, we can 
not be sure of the exact location of the grave of Lazarus, but somewhere in 
this immediate vicinity the great ijiiracle was performed. Here, also, was 
the house of Simon. We may never know just where it stood, but somewhere 
near here ; and here was the scene of the penitent woman anointing the 
feet of her Saviour with the precious spikenard ; and also near here must 
have been, I think, the scene of the ascension, for the gospel narrative dis- 
tinctly asserts that it was near Bethany." 

"I thought you said it was Mount of Olives?" said Nettie. 

" Some do think so, but I guess the best scholars would decide it was 
near Bethany, It was from Bethany that Jesus set out on his triumphal 
entry into Jerusalem. I have often tried to imagine the scene. The morning 
after the great miracle of the resurrection he sets forth. The road leads up 
over Mt. Olivet. A great crowd went with him from the village and met a 
second great crowd coming out of the city. You are all familiar with the 
story of his entry into the city when they strewed palm branches in his 
way and cried, ' Hosanna to the son of David ! Blessed is he that cometh in 
the name of the Lord!' It is interesting to know that there is one spot in 
this road from which the city of Jerusalem bursts into view. Nowhere else 
on the Mount of Olives is there a view like this ; it is peculiarly striking and 



38o 



SCENES ABROAD. 



grand. It is therefore extremely probable that it was at this place that 
* He, when He beheld the city, wept over it.' " 

The club had been much interested in this account of the scenes and 
incidents in the life of Christ appropriate to Bethany, but Nettie asked Uncle 
George some question about Galilee. 

"Nearly all travelers," said Uncle George in answer to her question. 




MODERN NAZARETH. 



" speak in praise of Galilee, and it was probably in its most flourishing state 
at the birth of Christ. Then it formed quite an important province of the 
Roman Empire. The first view I am going to show you is that of modern 
Nazareth." 

*' Where Joseph and Mary lived ?" exclaimed Nettie. 

" Yes ; where the boyhood days of Christ were passed," added Uncle 
•George. " Here we have no doubt of the location of the place, though we 



THK HOLY LAND. 



381 



may smile at the simple-hearted villagers when they show us the table at 
which he ate, the workshop where he labored, etc. Yet the place can not 
help but possess great interest for all. Near the town there is an eminence 
from which a magnificent view is obtained. It is surely reasonable to suppose 
that he often wandered thither and ga/.ed from the rocky summit. To the 
west the blue line of the Mediterranean is distinctly visible ; eastward the 
plain of Esdraelon spreads its green carpet ; behind are the wooded ridges 
of Carmel, the rocky mountains of Ephraim, and the far off Judean hills; in 




JEWISH SYNAGOGUE. 

the midst of a circle of grassy hills sleeps the Sea of Galilee. There is one 
place near Nazareth which seems to be referred to in the New Testament. 
You know that one time he entered the S3'nagogue there." 

" What is a synagogue?" broke in Henr}'. 

"I thought I had explained," replied Uncle George. "Well, here is a 
picture of one. Services are in progress. A synagogue is a Jewish place of 
worship. It saj'S that, after his remarks in this synagogue, the people were 
filled with wrath at him and were about to cast him down a precipice. Well, 



382 



SCENES ABROAD. 



there is just such a hill right near Nazareth, an almost perpendicular descent 
of about fifty feet. It is called to this day the Mount of Precipitation." 

" Why did they wish to throw him down ?" asked Henry. 

"Well, Henry, you must read the account in the New Testament. 
You will also notice how powerless they were against Him, for 'His time had 
not yet come.' Aside from Nazareth, interest in Galilee centers around the 
Sea of Galilee, called by several different names. I have here a view of this 
celebrated piece of water. At the time of Christ the shores of this lake must 
have presented a very animated scene. Galilee was then enjoying the most 




SEA OF GALILliE. 



prosperous era in its history. It was a Roman province, and its natural 
resources were developed as they were never before or since. Galilee was 
the center of Roman life and luxuriance as far as Palestine was concerned. 
There were a number of rich and populous cities around the shores of this 
lake — such as Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum; and of these, Capernaum, 
the home of Christ as far as he had any when he came to mature years, was 
the chief. Let Ida read this extract from the pen of a recent investigator, 
which will give us an idea of life around the shores of this old lake at the: 
time of Christ." 




CHRIST WALKING ON THE WATER. 



TIIK HOLY LAND. 385 

So, with the club paying close attention, Ida read the following account: 
"On the shores of this lake might be seen temple after temple rearing their 
vast colonnades of graceful columns, their courts ornamented with faultlessly 
carved statues to the deities of a heathen cult. Here were the palaces of the 
Roman high functionaries, the tastefully decorated villas of rich citizens 
with semi-tropical gardens irrigated by the copious streams which have their 
sources in the plain of Genesareth and the neighboring hills. Here were 
broad avenues and populous thoroughfares thronged with the motley con- 
course which so much wealth and magnificence had attracted. Rich mer- 
chants from Antioch, then the most gorgeous city of the East, and from the 
Greek Islands ; travelers and visitors from Damascus, Palmyra, and the rich 
cities of the Decapolis ; caravans from Egypt and Persia; Jewish rabbis 
jostling priests of the worship of the sun, and Roman soldiers swaggering 
across the market places where the peasantry were exposing the products of 
their fields and gardens for sale, and where fish was displayed by the hardy 
toilers of the lake, among whom were those whom the Great Teacher selected 
to be the first recipients of his message and the channels for its communica- 
cation to after ages." 

" I didn't suppose there was anything like that in Galilee when Christ 
was on the earth !" exclaimed Burt, as Ida ceased reading. 

** That is not to be w^ondered at," replied Uncle George, " for only recent 
investigators have turned their attention in that direction. Many of Christ's 
little band of disciples came from the shores of this lake, and all were Gali- 
leans. Here many of his mighty miracles were performed. It was on the 
waters of this lake that the sudden storm arose which was quelled by his 
voice ; and on another time he came walking to his disciples. It was Caper- 
naum where Peter lived, but such have been the ravages of time that we have 
not yet fully settled just where the town stood. You see the Bible gives us 
only incidental notices of the places it mentions. It was written to be our 
guide in spiritual matters only, so but few places have been satisfactorily 
identified." 

"Did Christ and his disciples all live together in one place?" asked 
Willie. " I thought they moved around from place to place," he added. 

"Their headquarters, we might add, were at Capernaum, where Peter 
had his home ; but a short distance away was Bethsaida, where James and 
John lived. The gathering together of a band of disciples was not peculiar 



386 



SCENES ABROAD. 



to the work of Christ. It was the custom of the time for any Jewish rabbi, 
who was a recognized leader, to gather around him a band of disciples, and 
the relations existing between them was deemed to be very close and of a 
peculiar nature." 

A close observer would have noticed that Uncle George's thoughts were 
not wholly confined to the subject before him. In fact, the children seemed 
to have the impression that something was going on not " down on the pro- 
gram," as Willie said afterwards. They knew, in rather a vague way, that 




CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES. 

a carriage or so had driven up ; they had heard old Watch barking out a good- 
natured salute ; and, in fact, it was already " in the air " that there were 
visitors in the house. Still, they had been a good deal interested in what 
they had heard about the Holy Land, and so had not allowed their attention 
to be greatly distracted. Henry was getting uneasy, and would probably 
have soon appointed himself a committee of one to investigate the suspicious 
circumstances. But he was saved this trouble ; for, as Uncle George con- 
cluded, he held his watch in his hand and apparently cut short his remarks 



THE HOLY LAND. 387 

as he noted the time, and rather abruptl}- ch)sed the all)unis, though it was 
plain to be seen that there were still other views to look at. 

It was all clear a moment later. For Aunt Mary opened the librarj' 
door just th§n, and after an inquiring glance at Uncle George, and observing 
that the evening's trip was apparently over, invited the club to walk down 
stairs to the dining room; and when they reached there, the}- found, to their 
great delight, the table set for an elegant little lunch. There were actually 
strawberries and cream, though the former were just a little extravagant at 
that time of the year. But this was not all, there were also ^Ir, Charles 
Adams and wife, the father and mother of Burt and Willie, and Mr. and Mrs. 
Scott. Though a little surprised, Willie said that the club was still in the 
ring and ready for business. " But whose idea is all this?" he asked. 

" Whose else can it be but Aunt Marj^'s ?" responded Burt. "That is 
just like her," he added. 

Aunt Mary laughed as she replied, "You see I thought my nephews and 
nieces with their uncle Avould be read}- after their long trip in foreign lands 
to enjoy a little entertainment at home, and, of course, would want to meet 
all their friends." 

" And," added grandpa, " when celebrated travelers return the}' generally 
have a good deal to talk about. Now I think it only fair for each one of you 
to give us your impressions of foreign travel, and so Willie, as you are the 
oldest, what part of the trip did you like best?" 

Then Willie and the rest talked about their several trips, and told what 
particular one had interested them most. There was quite a diversity of 
opinion. Willie decided in favor of Eastern Asia, Nettie of France, Burt of 
Italy and Greece, and Ida of the Holy Land ; but Henr}' said that one part 
was as good as the other. And then Uncle George remarked that he believed 
the club would confirm the judgment of real travelers who, after wandering 
over the world, quite generally come back with great willingness to America 
and the United States. "We probably," he continued, "have our share of 
national prejudice I have spoken about, but Americans of a truth can say 
that their lines are cast in a pleasant place. I have been thinking that when 
Burt and I get back next year it might be a good plan to talk about this 
country and the countries in South America. But, perhaps, that is looking 
too far ahead." 

And so with pleasant talk and laying out bright plans for the future, 



^88 



SCENES ABROAD. 



the evening passed, and the club adjourned sine die^ as Uncle George re- 
minded them. And here we bid farewell to the readers, hoping that they 
also have enjoyed these little trips, and have learned some items worth re- 
membering about " Scenes Abroad," • 



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'^'-^^^^■"■^■■- ^ 



